The President extends sympathy to the Prime Minister of Samoa on learning about the passing away of the Head of State of the country. The President ex

The President has sent a message of sympathy to the Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielogoi, on learning about the passing away of the Head of State of the country, Malietoa Tanumafili II.

In the message, the President extended profound sympathy to Prime Minister Malielogoi, the Government and the people of Samoa Islands. Further, he conveyed sincere condolences to the members of the bereaved family.

In the message, the President also noted that Malietoa Tanumafili II had dedicated his life to the welfare of the people of Samoa Islands, and will be remembered for his distinguished service to the country.

The President has also sent messages of sympathy to the Indian President, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, on learning about the storm that hit the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, and to the Nigerian President, Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, on learning about the accident involving three passenger buses. The disasters led to death and devastation.

In the message, the President extended profound sympathy to the leaders, the Government and the people of the two countries. Further, he conveyed sincere condolences to the members of the bereaved families.

Introduction of Maldives

The pearls of the Indian Ocean, as it is popularly known, are situated in the South West of Sri Lanka, on the equator. The numerous coral reef islands, 1,190 in total , form an archipelago of 26 major atolls ( groups of neighbouring coral islands). The country stretches 820 km north to south and 120 km east to west. Out of the incredibly large number of islands only 200 islands are inhabited, with 44 islands adapted as exclusive resort islands. The climate is generally warm and humid. Sun shines all year through with average temperature around 29 - 32 degrees Celsius.
The country's 2000 population census shows a total of 270,101 people living in the country. Almost 2/3 of this figure resides in the capital island Male'.

Origins of the Maldivians is not very certain. However, it is believed that the history goes as far back as BC 1000. Early settlers were travellers on the Silk Route, and from the Indus Valley Civilisation. The Maldivians are inherently warm, friendly and hospitable by nature, and anyone can easily establish a casual conversation with the Maldivians.

Dhivehi, a fantastic language not spoken anywhere else on the globe, is the language spoken in all parts of the Maldives. English is widely spoken and can be recognised on sign boards, neon lights and even in the main newspapers and in some radio and TV programmes. In the resorts, a variety of languages, including English, German, Italian, French and Japanese, is spoken by the staff.

Dress is generally casual. T-shirts and cotton clothing are most suitable. In the inhabited islands, it is recommended that women wear modest clothing without baring too much.

The Maldives economy is growing at an average of over 10 percent since the past two decades. Tourism is the main industry, contributing almost 20 percent to the GDP. Fisheries and trade follow close behind. The Maldivian economy is regarded as exemplary in the region, and welcomes foreign investment.

The Maldivian currency is Rufiyas and Laaris (1M Rf = 100 Laaris). The exchange rate for US Dollars is Rufiya 11.72 for one US Dollar (1997). The Rufiyaa comes in notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. The American Dollar is the most common foreign currency. Payments in the resorts can be made in most hard currencies in cash, traveller's cheques or credit cards. The most commonly used credit cards are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro Card.

The functional literacy rate is 98 percent. Educational standards are among the highest in the region, and most schools teach via the English Medium and follow the British education system, while in some schools Dhivehi (the Maldivian Language) or Arabic is the medium of instruction.

Health care facilities are improving on a daily basis. The Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Male' is the biggest hospital in the country providing sophisticated medical care. ADK Hospital is the biggest private health care facility, and follows high medical standards. Experienced European doctors work at the AMDC Clinic. Regional hospitals are distributed throughout the country and Male' , the capital, has several well-established private general practitioners . Some resorts have an in-house doctor. Decompression chambers are within reach of most resorts in case of a diving emergency.

Telecommunication has developed very fast in this decade. Upto-date technology and international satellite links allow Maldives to have a sophisticated communications system. IDD facilities are available on all resorts, and card phone facilities are available on all islands. Dhiraagu, the Maldives telecommunications company, an affiliate of the British Cable and Wireless Company, provides mobile telephones for rental on a daily basis. Dhiraagu is also the Internet service provider.

Being on the Equator, the country enjoys more or less constant day lengths (6am - 6 pm) throughout the year. People wake up early in the morning. Business hours are from Sunday to Thursday 7:30 - 14:30 in the government sector, and generally from 9:00 to 5:00 in the private sector. Weekend falls on Friday and Saturday. The local time is GMT +5hours.

DRP thugs attacking reformists in Addu

Vimla Rasheed: DRP gang leader in Addu

DRP thugs attacking reformists in Addu
Addu - Sources in Addu are reporting that DRP thugs sponsored by Vimla Rasheed has been attacking several MDP reformists over the past 48 hours. It is reported that police is not coming to the aid of reformists and instead they are protecting these thugs as usual. Earlier on Monday, there were also road blocks placed at the entrance to Gan island and only passengers were allowed to pass, the reason for which police say is the heightened tension in the Atoll. Sources say that these clashes are planned to derail MDP's campaign in Addu to promote parliamentary system which has gained momentum over the past week. Some reformists were also detained over night but the real criminals remain at large, sources said. It is a well known fact that Vimla Rasheed, who owns a construction company, is handsomely rewarded by the Maldives Dictator with government projects in return for organising and managing these criminal activities.

Tourism Minister Shaugee cutting dodgy resort deals

Tourism Minister Shaugee cutting dodgy resort deals
A reliable source in the tourism industry confirmed today that Tourism Minister Shaugee, also known as Mrs. George, is now the leading broker for resort projects in the Maldives. He is reportedly now cutting a deal to secure Vaadhoo resort for a Sri Lankan firm. Mrs. George is also speaking with those new resorts which have yet to start construction and trying to pass the projects to foreigners in return for handsome cuts. Mrs. George's selling line is apparently," I am the Tourism Minister, so I can easily do the deal for you," said our source. Mrs. George also got over a million dollars in loan from Hatton National Bank of Sri Lanka last year to build his home, after he cut a deal for a Sri Lankan firm. According to our sources, you can get anything done by Tourism Ministry now if you have a few hundred thousand dollars to bribe Mrs. George.

Man Injured, Car torched in Adddu's Serial Gang Fights - Breaking News.

A car was torched and a man was injured during the disturbances which occurred between the residents of Addu atoll Maradhoo and Feydhoo on Friday night.

The injured man is now being treated in Hithadhoo Regional Hospital’s ICU ward. The man had sustained severe wounds due to the fight. The man’s family had however declined to give any further details to reporters on the incident. A police official had also said that family members had refused to give certain details on the case and had not cooperated with the investigation of the case.

The incident had occurred around 6:30pm after a match between Maradhoo and Feydhoo at Hithadhoo Stadium. Supporters of both islands were on their way home when the fight had broken out. The first fight had begun when a group of Maradhoo residents had tried to stop a car being driven by Feydhoo residents. The Feydhoo residents had kept on driving without slowing the car and had in the end crashed into a cycle. The rider of the cycle was severely injured in the accident.

The Maradhoo group had then stopped the car and beaten the Feydhoo residents who were in the car. According to an eyewitness, one of the three men who were inside the car had managed to escape. After the fight the Maradhoo gang had then smashed the back window of the car. The car was a taxi belonging to Feydhoo Zoom taxi services.

In addition, a car belonging to Maradhoo man was set on fire later that night around 12:00am after a group of Feydhoo residents had stopped it and beaten up the men inside. The car was destroyed beyond use. According to an eyewitness, the Feydhoo gang had stopped the Maradhoo car while it was being driven through Feydhoo and that the tires of the car were also punctured before it was set on fire.

According to a police official the case is now being investigated and two people have been arrested in connection to the serial gang fights. The two people arrested were an 18-year-old youth and a 23-year-old man. The official also added that the people mostly involved in the gang fights were underage youths.

“We would like to request people to report it to either police or the Island Office if such an incident occurs,” said the police official. “We also urge people to corporate with the investigation. And we are still working on apprehending the people who were involved with the fights.”

Serial gang fights between Maradhoo and Feydhoo has recently been on the increase.

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Nasa - Commander Helps Managers Plan for Future Computer Repairs

Image above: The International Space Station is viewed from Space Shuttle Atlantis after undocking Tuesday, June 19 at 10:42 a.m. EDT. Image credit: NASA

International Space Station Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin carried out troubleshooting efforts on Russian segment’s central computer and terminal computer on Thursday. This procedure will not impact operation of the two channels of each computer that have been in control of Russian system operation since the restart on June 15.

The troubleshooting procedure is designed to help Russian mission managers further assess their plans for repair of the computer systems, including possible replacement of components with new hardware to be flown on the next Progress supply ship due to arrive at the station on July 24.

Meanwhile, the space shuttle crew that left the station Tuesday, landed at 3:49 p.m. EDT Friday at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

STS-117 left the International Space Station bigger and more powerful than it was when they arrived. Atlantis also delivered a new Expedition 15 crew member to the orbital outpost.

Expedition 15 welcomed its visitors onto the station June 10 shortly after Atlantis docked. A few hours later Astronaut Clayton Anderson replaced Suni Williams as a flight engineer on the Expedition 15 crew. Williams will return to Earth with STS-117, wrapping up a six-month-plus stay in space during which she became the new record holder for the longest single spaceflight by a woman.

On June 11, the STS-117 crew installed the Starboard 3 and 4 truss segment onto the station. The visiting astronauts conducted four spacewalks to activate the new truss and its solar arrays. The S3/S4 also contains a rotary joint that will allow its arrays to track the sun. The S3/S4 arrays increase the station’s power generation capabilities.

The STS-117 crew also assisted with the retraction of the Port 6 (P6) truss array. The P6 will be relocated from atop the station to the end of the Port 5 truss by a future shuttle crew.

The next shuttle mission scheduled to visit the International Space Station is STS-118 in August.

Preflight Interview: Suni Williams

Q: There are hundreds of thousands of pilots and scientists out there in the world, but there are only about 100 American astronauts. What made you want to try to become an astronaut and be one of those people that flies in space? Image to right: Astronaut Sunita L. Williams. Image credit: NASA A: Oh, good question. In my mind, I think everybody wants to be an astronaut. I’ve sort of found out maybe that’s not so true. When I was five years old or so, I saw Neil Armstrong walk on the moon and thought ‘wow --that’s cool.’ I mean, that’s what I would like to do. Subsequent to that, all the TV shows about going to space sort of set a bit, I think, in everybody’s head that, that would be a great career. I never really thought that, that would happen in my life. It seemed too far out there, something that I could never achieve. Really didn’t touch base with me and hit home until I went to Test Pilot School in Maryland. I’m a Navy pilot, helicopter pilot. In one of our field trips, we came down to Johnson Space Center. It was me and a couple of other helicopter pilots sitting in the back while all the jet pilots in my TPS [Test Pilot School] class were all sitting in the front, listening to John Young talk about the shuttle and about flying to the moon. I remember him talking about learning how to fly a helicopter to land the lunar lander. Something just clicked in my head, and I said, ‘wow,’ you know, maybe there’s a use for helicopter pilots, if we’re going to go back to the moon. So, I sort of said to myself, the only one who’s telling me I’m not going to be an astronaut is me. I did the research on what was required, and I got my master’s degree and applied, and, lo and behold, the second application, I got an interview. So, I think I’m very, very lucky. You grew up in Massachusetts. Tell me about Needham, Massachusetts. It’s a great town. It’s a little, as I called it during my astronaut interview, a small town which I was quickly, corrected that it’s not so, so small—there was about, 500 kids in my high school graduating class, but it seems like you know everybody in a town that size. Close enough to Boston, a big Red Sox fan, Patriots fan. When I was growing up Bobby Orr was playing hockey, so, of course, a Bruins fan, and, Larry Bird was playing basketball, so a Celtics fan. A great sports town to grow up in. I grew up as a swimmer, speaking of sports; I spent a lot of time before school and after school swimming. I would contribute whatever discipline I have and direction I have to competitive swimming. It takes up a lot of your time and then you’re trying to fit in, doing your homework and having a social life as you’re growing up. Needham, Massachusetts, close enough to Boston. It was a great place to grow up. Do you see, in yourself, how that place and the people in that place, helped make you the person you are today? Oh, yeah. I think I am a smart aleck because I grew up close enough to Boston and most people from Massachusetts talk fast and I have a little bit of a wiseacre, and I think I’m a little bit like that. But seriously, where I swam was at, at Harvard, and so we spent a lot of time in the Cambridge area. My father’s a doctor. He taught at Harvard Medical School and BU [Boston University] Medical School and worked at a bunch of hospitals in the Boston area. I think growing up there, it just becomes commonplace that you feel like everybody around you is going to college; I’m going to go to college. That is never a question in your mind. It’s a great place to grow up, just because things are ticking and so many colleges around, so many universities, hospitals around that just taps into your interest. Well, let’s talk about the educational and career path of Suni Williams. I graduated from my high school OK. Not, not absolutely number one, I was just OK. Then, my brother went to the Naval Academy, and that’s how I got interested in the Naval Academy. My biggest worry was I had long hair, like I do now, and I thought, oh, man, if I have to cut it, I’m not really sure I want to go to this school. I applied to a bunch of other schools, a couple in the Boston area, a couple in New York. My final two choices were Columbia and the Naval Academy. Columbia scared me because it’s right downtown in New York City. So I opted for the Naval Academy. I went to the Naval Academy, did OK—wasn’t, number one student there, either. As a result of your grade point average, that’s what you pick for your career field. I wanted to be a diver. One of my good friends, who was a professor there was a saturation diver. My grades didn’t allow me to get to become a diver so I became a pilot. But that was OK. I wanted to do something, and I had 20/20 vision, and, of course that was the time frame when “Top Gun” came out, so everybody wanted to be a jet pilot. Of course, I wanted to be a jet pilot. At the time, women weren’t flying combat airplanes so there was only a couple of billets for women. I didn’t get my first choice—I got my second choice, which was helicopters. I flew helicopters, and I loved flying helicopters on the East Coast when I did a couple of deployments out to the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf. I bring up all these little failures because it’s one of those things that I tell kids that maybe you want something, but you get something else, but if you make the best of it, things sorta work out. So, you’re flying helicopters in the Navy and at some point you came to the Johnson Space Center. Tell me how [you] became an astronaut from there. Well, while I was in the Fleet, one of the things I really liked to do is, when the airplanes went in for maintenance, they had to come out and have a test flight. There was a couple of qualifications to become a test pilot for your particular aircraft. I really liked doing that, and that got me interested in the idea of going to Test Pilot School, where we test not only your specific flight, your Fleet aircraft, but a myriad of other airplanes or helicopters that the Fleet will be flying in the future. So I said, oh, I want to apply for this, so I put in my application. With my background in my Fleet airplane of testing, I got into that. When I went to Test Pilot School, that’s when we came to Johnson Space Center. And I ended up seeing John Young and listening to him talk and getting a positive influence from him. This mission is your first flight assignment. What was it like when they told you you’d been assigned to a mission to fly to space? I was overwhelmed. Charlie Precourt was the Chief of the [Astronaut] Office at the time, and when he told me I think he was waiting for this reaction, like jumping up and down or something. And, I was just so like, ‘wow.’ I was assigned in the winter of 2002, so it’s been a little while ago, and at the time that, we were look, focusing on a very accelerated construction of the space station. At the time I was the backup for Expedition 10, which would be, installing Node 2. And again, another EVA-intensive type of time frame up on the space station. So I was pretty overwhelmed with, ‘I can’t even believe I have the opportunity to train for something this complicated.’ After the Columbia accident, things got a little bit sorted out and it fell into this 12A.1 time frame, which again I’m amazed and very pleased that it fell into a very intensive time frame. I think every space shuttle mission during this construction is going to be full of this type of construction and intensive activity. So, I think we’re all pretty, pretty lucky. The “flying in space” part of being an astronaut has shown that it can be pretty dangerous. What is it that you see as the advantage that we get from flying people in space that makes you willing to do it yourself? Oh, I think just the appeal of people in space, and people on the ground being able to relate to those people in space really makes people start to wonder, ‘wow, what else can we do?’ So many people in the Astronaut Office are from different countries and cultures, and every time someone goes up that can identify with a group of people on the ground, you get that group of people wondering, ‘wow, maybe that could be me one day.’ There are a million possibilities out there. For instance, I am half Indian and I’ve got a, I’m sure, a group of Indian people who are looking forward to seeing this second person of Indian origin, flying up in space. So it’s nice to know that everybody brings along with them a group of people from all over the world that get interested in space. You are the Flight Engineer on Expeditions 14 and 15 to the International Space Station. Give me a summary of the goals of your flight, and your main responsibilities. Oh, wow, it’s a lot to cover. Expedition 14, when I get up there, will be midway through its expedition...hopefully, knock on wood, sometime in December. During that time frame, I’ll be flying up with STS-116. Their goal during that time frame is installing an element called P5 out on the end of P3/P4 solar array, and that’s a spacer which will allow P6 to later be transferred to that place. So, robotically, I’ll be part of the crew that will install the P5. Subsequent to that, they will also be doing a major power reconfig[uration]. I’ll be part of the support robotic team to help them along with that. They’ll have three EVAs, and their third EVA, if everything goes well on the first two EVAs, I’ll be doing a third EVA with Bob Curbeam, and we’ll be doing the second power reconfiguration. So, that’s a lot for one small shuttle mission in the beginning of my mission and right after that, once they leave, Michael Lopez-Alegria, me, and [Mikhail] Misha Tyurin will be living up on the International Space Station. While we’re up there, pretty shortly after [STS-]116 leaves, we have a thermal reconfiguration that we’re going to do to the space station. That reconfiguration along with retracting some radiators up on P6 and then removing some thermal shrouds out on the P3/P4 section will take about three spacewalks. So, probably about two months, if all goes well again—knock on wood—, we’ll be out doing three spacewalks in the first two months that I’ll be up there for, for the Expedition 14 time frame. Now hopefully, if that all goes well and the shuttle launch schedule stays on time, we’ll be expecting another shuttle mission to come visit us, STS-117. And they’ll be bringing up the S3/S4 solar array. So we’ll be part of that crew to help install that solar array. In the meantime, while that’s all going on—I’ll be part of the robotic team with that. In the meantime while that’s all going on, we have a bunch of science experiments and a major computer reconfiguration we’re a part of. Then the Soyuz guys, the Expedition 14 guys, will be leaving in time, when the Expedition 15 guys will be joining us, and I’ll be there for all of that. Once the Expedition 15 guys show up, we potentially have a PMA-3 relocate, which is another robotic op, all in preparation for when Node 2 arrives. Then I’ll finish up the rest of my time up on the space station with the Expedition 15 guys, with the culmination of 13A.1, which is STS-118. Lots of numbers; sorry for the confusion. But they’ll be putting up the sister element that 116 put up…P5; they’ll be putting up S5. So, luckily, if all works out well, I’ll have seen this P5 installation, which will be mirrored by the S5 installation, so I’ll just be able to help out with the spacewalks and the robotic ops for that. Six months. Don’t you have anything else to do? I think it’s going to be pretty busy. But, it’s going to be a lot of fun, and I’m absolutely lucky to be in this place at this time. And one thing I forgot to mention is when Expedition 15 comes up there, I’ll be the one American up there with two Russian crew members. Well, your travel arrangements are a little different than they’ve ever been. You’re going to arrive on ISS on the space shuttle mission to replace the European astronaut, Thomas Reiter. Do you think it’s going to benefit you to arrive at the station to find two crewmates who are already set up and been in business? Oh, absolutely. I think I’m really lucky, ’cause then, they’re going to be there to help me with any time of, turnover things that I don’t understand. I’m a rookie; never flown before. These two are both experienced space fliers; and them, having lived there for about three months before I get there, I think if I have any questions, they’ll be the perfect people to show me the way. And, like I just mentioned, that’s pretty needed for when they leave and I’ll be up there, the sole U.S. member of Expedition 15 for a while. This rotation of this International Space Station crew, just a portion of it at a time, is the first time that it’s been done in this program. Does that make it more difficult for you in training and having to work with two different station crews as well as a variety of shuttle crews? It does add a lot of complexity. Luckily enough, the complexity falls on the amazing training team that we have, because they are the ones who really have to shuffle the cards and figure out how we’re going to get the required training for us crew members. Our schedule’s just filled with training that we’re going to need to make sure that we are totally trained, ready to go, for all the specific construction activities that we are required to do while we’re up there. <> OK; a great question. Because when I show my family the part “P5” on the whole view of the space station, they always go, ‘wow, that’s so little,’ so it’s quite funny when I’m pointing out exactly the part that I’m particularly involved with installing. But, it’s a needed part. It is a part that goes, P5 and S5 is a part, that [goes] between the two major solar array wings. Without them, the two wings would be too close together to actually operate. They’re a pass-through for all of the thermal, electrical lines going out to the end of the truss and absolutely critical. Like I said, for the completion of the second set of solar arrays on either side. S3/S4 is the first solar array on the starboard side; hence the nomenclature “S.” And that will be installed during the STS-117 mission. So, the “5” parts are not just glorified spacers. No. No, they’re absolutely critical to make sure that the two big solar array wings will be able to operate. Well, let’s talk about some of those operations that you referred to earlier, not only EVAs but robotics operations. If you could talk us through those operations on STS-116, on the mission that’s going to deliver you to the space station, because part of that is also your role as a spacewalker. Yes. Well the first EVA, which is the P5 install. Me and Joanie Higginbotham will be operating the robotic workstations. We’ll be taking the P5 Truss from a handoff position from the shuttle robotic arm and we’ll be moving it to the end of P3/P4 for the installation. It’s a little bit of a tricky installation because the clearances to get the P5 into its position are pretty tight, about three inches or so. Some of the issues with that is the P3/P4 solar array wing is live at the time, so there’s going to be some black boxes on the end of P3/P4 that are live powered. And so with that clearance, the biggest worry is that you don’t hit the box that has the live power on it, ’cause that’s going to cause a lot of problems. So, we’ve practiced this very intensely with the spacewalkers Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang. They’ll be out on opposite ends of the P3/P4 truss, guiding us in and talking us in. So this is a very complicated, entire-crew-involved event to try to get this guy installed. Likewise that’s going to happen on S5; I’m not part of the robotic team for that right now. I’m the M3, as you might call it—the person who’s watching over this with lessons learned and experience to help those guys after, with my knowledge from P5 installation. And, on this P5 installation, when you’re running the station arm, is it out? It’s not based back in the middle anymore? No. You’ve got to run out on the railcar to reach that far, don’t you? Yeah, it’s out a little bit toward the port side. Moved out to the port side so we can reach that far. Are there arm ops supporting the rest of that first EVA operation? Image to right: Astronaut Suni Williams participates in a training session at the Sonny Carter Training Facility near Johnson Space Center, Houston. Image credit: NASA Yes. Part of that EVA is also starting up the main bus power switching units, MBSU, and while we’re making sure that that’s all starting up correctly, the two spacewalkers, Bob Curbeam and Christer Fuglesang, will be moving the equipment carts, CETA carts, to the opposite side that they’re on in preparation for the next solar array, which is the S3/S4 installation. So, we’ll be working with the spacewalkers again as we’ll be picking them up and driving them over to the truss, while they’ll be grabbing on to the, what we call CETA carts. We’ll be flying them over to the other side of the transporter system, the MBS. We see that same kind of move done on an earlier mission. Exactly. To get ready for this P3/P4 installation. So, now we have to get ready for the S3/S4 installation. All that’s EVA 1? That’s EVA 1. So, the main part of EVA 2 is the power recon, first power reconfiguration. So, once those main bus switching units are all up and working on line, then we’re going to work on the power reconfiguration, which is the strings 1 and 4. Again, Christer Fuglesang and Bob Curbeam will be out working on that, and Joanie and I will primarily be helping them out in case there’s any issues with the boxes that we’re starting up. Then EVA 3, which I’m part of at this moment in time, is the second power string power up, which is the [strings] 2-3 power up. On that spacewalk both Bob Curbeam will be out on the front truss, I’m back between what, in the place we call the “rat’s nest”, the Z1 and the S0 and the Lab—it’s a small area that comes down into a “V,” it has lots of electrical connections and fluid connections there. I’ll be working a couple of electric connections back there to get that power reconfig[uration] done with Bob Curbeam. The second part of that EVA is moving some Service Module debris panels, which will be installed later, moving them from the payload bay in the shuttle over to PMA-3, which is on the port side of the Node, getting that ready for a later installation by the Russians. So, that’s a pretty interesting task: it involves the shuttle robotic arm, and I’ll be on the end of the shuttle robotic arm for that EVA. It is unusual for a station crew member, which you will be by this time, to be one of the spacewalkers during docked operations. What’s the reasoning behind having you do this spacewalk? That’s a good question, and I think it’s been up for debate for a little while. But it’s sort of a preventative measure and a little bit forward thinking, in my opinion, because I will be, like I mentioned earlier there, I will be up there initially with one other American, Michael Lopez-Alegria, and Misha Tyurin, the Russian, and then my second part of my increment I’ll be up there with two Russians. And after 12A.1 occurs, there’s a lot of big boxes, for example, a Pump Module and a flex hose rotary couple on either side, which allows fluid out to the radiators. Those big boxes will be started up for the first time during 12A.1. Now, any of those big boxes can fail at any time. Also those main bus switching units I talked about, the MBSUs, those can also maybe have a problem, and all of those big boxes will require a spacewalk to do a replacement. So at any point in time after 12A.1, we need to be ready and have all of the Expedition crews trained to be able to do these changeouts. Luckily enough I’ve been set up on this third EVA during the 116 mission to give me a little experience. Like I said, I’m a rookie. This is my first flight. And need all the experiences that I can to be EV1. Part of that question is also, well, you’re going to do three EVAs, potentially with, Michael Lopez-Alegria during the docked ops, but the thing is, we don’t know exactly when the launch date is for 116. And [if] the launch date slips too far to the right and into the end of Expedition 14, we may not have enough time to get the three EVAs done during the increment. So this is a little bit of a protection, just in case those EVAs slip in to Expedition 15, I’ll have already gone out the door, as they call it, with an experienced American, and so I’ll be a little bit more comfortable with doing an EVA as EV1. In the early portion of your time onboard the station, after the P5’s installed, we’re looking at having long periods when the station’s regular high data rate communications system is not going to be operating. Tell us why that’s happening and how long that might last, but, and I think maybe most importantly, what won’t you be able to do? Right, good question. This is the Ku-band antenna; it’s in the attitude that we’ll be flying. We may have some issues with heating and cooling as we’re in this little bit unbalanced situation. We have a big solar array wing on the port side and not one yet on the starboard side. So that Ku antenna may or may not be able to work as efficiently as it has been in the past. We’re working on some issues, or some ideas, to try to mitigate that, to minimize the time in which the antenna will not work. But I think everyone doesn’t realize what the Ku does for us. Of course, it gives us a critical part for the IP phone, the internet protocol phone, which we’re able to call back to the ground with, so, we’re not going to have that so everyone just goes, ‘oh, you’re not going to have the IP phone, you’ll be fine—you can talk to the ground on space-to-ground.’ So, but the other parts, there’s tons of other things: we have a bunch of tools and products that the ground sends to us like our timeline, any uplink messages. Anything that gets uplinked, we are not going to have. Anything that changes on our procedures, that’s not going to get updated on a regular basis if we don’t have Ku. And so, the program and a lot of people have been working lots of time to figure out, one, how to mitigate the time which we have Ku outage, if we could put some type of heat shield or something to decrease the time or change the attitude of the space station to allow us to have even heating and cooling on the Ku; and, secondly, how to use the onboard computer systems, which are not affected by the Ku antenna, use that to get some of the products on board. Unfortunately, if we do that, that’s going to take up some crew time to have to sort through the files to get the correct files that we would have had instantaneously if we did have Ku. You’ve got a lot of activity that goes on onboard the space station, when shuttles are not there. Spacewalks are one of them. Now, of course the plan could change by the time you do it, but tell me about the current plan for station crew spacewalks during your six months onboard. OK. The time frame for the American spacewalks that I think we’re alluding to is the 12A.1 time frame, and in that time frame we’ll have just finished with 12A, so we’ve got the power reconfiguration completed, and now we need to do the thermal reconfiguration. So that consists of three spacewalks. The first spacewalk will be one of the external power loops. We call it loop A. We will switch it from using a radiator and cooling loop system on the P6 to its more permanent cooling system out on the truss. And that involves changing some electrical connectors in the “rat’s nest,” which is the area, again, between P, Z1, S0 and the Lab. It’s a small area that has a lot of electrical connections and a lot of fluid connections; it’s this very tight space. As it’s planned, both me and Michael Lopez-Alegria will be inboard in this small little area. On the first loop reconfig[uration], I’ll do the electrical connectors then he will follow that with the big fluid jumpers to switch the fluid lines from P6 to the external. Following that, we will be up on the P6 truss; they will retract the starboard radiator, which we’ve been using for the early external thermal control system. The ground will be doing that but our role in that is to cinch it down, ’cause it needs to stay down and compacted, so the radiators aren’t moving around as the space station is rotating. He’ll be up on the zenith side; I’ll be on the nadir side of the radiator. We will wait and watch the radiator retract—potentially it could need a little bit of a push from us at the very end—and then we cinch bolts around the edge of it that we need to, simultaneously, connect to make sure that the radiator is contained nicely. That’s the main portion of EVA number one; the second EVA is really a mirror image of EVA 1 for EVA 2, where we’re changing out the loop B, fluid connectors and retracting, now, the aft radiator on P6. The third EVA involves going all the way out to the P3/P4 end of the truss. The station will be flying in an XPOP [x-axis perpendicular to the orbital plane] configuration, and because of that some of the equipment on the back side of the truss is experiencing some heating and cooling which is undesired. So, we have two big shrouds, out on the truss. And as we switch over the power and then the thermal reconfiguration, we can change the station back to a normal flying, LVLH [local vertical local horizontal] type of attitude. And, so we need to take those blankets off. So most of that EVA will involve taking off some of the thermal blankets, now that we’ve got the station all reconfigured, power and thermal. And, of course, throughout your time on orbit, you’ve got science to do. Oh yeah. Image to left: Expedition 14 Flight Engineer Sunita Williams (background) participates in the Human Research Facility Ultrasound proficiency training in the International Space Station Destiny laboratory mockup/trainer at Johnson Space Center’s Space Vehicle Mockup Facility. Image credit: NASA You’ll be the NASA ISS Science Officer for part of it. Primary focus of U.S. science on the space station is research on how people can live and work safely in weightlessness. Tell me about some of the “people” experiments that are going to be done during your time. Our goal, now that we’re going back to the moon and going to Mars, the main focus of the space station for U.S. science is how people are going to live out in space for extended periods of time. Over a six-month period we’re, definitely going to lose bone and muscle mass. So a big part of the experiments that we’re doing onboard is how to mitigate that. We’re all doing exercise protocols while we’re up there, trying to mitigate the bone and muscle mass [loss]. We do that using the treadmill, the bike, and also there’s a weight lifting machine that we use to work out and make sure our bones and muscles are exercised. Along with that, we’re doing a nutrition experiment, which is something we’ve always done in the past as well as the exercise, to annotate what we are eating so we can keep a log, how the food is affecting our bones and muscles. But we’re adding one other part of that, where we’re taking blood. That way we’ll be able to really analyze how the food is being metabolized and interacting in the body. That’s not going to be a real-time correction type of experiment, but with the shuttles rotating, they’ll be able to take the blood samples down, and then we’ll be able to get some feedback from the scientists on the ground to analyze how our diet is actually working. So those are just a couple examples of the experiments that we’re doing on the body. With Expedition 14, it’s going to be the first time since the loss of Columbia that there will be an increment crew of three people onboard ISS from the start of the increment to the end of the increment. During that time, there’s going to be multiple spaceships visiting up and down, major assembly tasks are going on. Is the program back on track now? Are we ready to move on to full completion and utilization? It sure feels that way. I think we had to go through a period of understanding and growing and finding out where our issues were with the shuttle program. I think we’re, we’re ironing that out with [STS-]114 and [STS-]121, which were primarily test flights to really show that we have fixed the problems that we’ve had, and anticipating new problems, trying to look ahead and see how we’re going to fix those. But, now, since those two missions have gone, and particularly 121 being absolutely successful. I’ve heard people talk about Discovery coming back absolutely clean and potentially the turnaround can even be a little bit quicker, which would be great for STS-116, my ride up there. I think we’re into an area almost where we’re all the way up to full schedule or full speed of constructing and completing the space station. The next flight, [STS-]115, will really show us how we stand, ’cause two in a row in a short period of time, two different vehicles, making sure we found all the right things to fix the orbiters, and of course, 115 taking up the next solar array, which is the next big step in finishing the space station. If that all goes well, I think 116 and beyond is really the finishing of the construction of the space station. Of course, the Vision for Space Exploration sees way beyond this particular space station that we’ve been talking about. Tell me about your philosophy of the future human exploration of space, and the contribution that ISS is making to that. Good question, because a lot of people go, ‘what are we spending all this money to really only be flying around 250 miles above the Earth?’ When I go to schools and tell kids about 250 miles, they’re a little bit under-impressed. But the second part of why I tell kids about 250 miles, ’cause it makes them realize how small our atmosphere is, which leads into sort of my philosophy on space travel. We’re up there, using the ISS to figure out how to go other places in the universe. I think it’s something we need to do as we’re getting more and more people on this Earth, we need to figure out what happened to Mars, why is there no atmosphere there that’s breathable and livable by human beings, and explore how the planets are formed and, potentially, to understand if there could be some other planet out there that we could reach out to and share our experiences with. So, the space station’s just a stepping-stone to get us to understand space, and how to live and work in space, and then potentially get back to the moon is the next stepping-stone. How to work in a low-gravity environment and how to work in an environment that is not habitable for us that will take us to the next place, maybe Mars and then beyond.

Atlantis Lands in United State California. in Successful Way.

Image above: Space shuttle Atlantis touches down at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Image credit: NASA/Carla Thomas + View Larger Image

Space Shuttle Atlantis descended to a smooth landing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., concluding a successful assembly mission to the International Space Station. With Commander Rick Sturckow and Pilot Lee Archambault at the controls, Atlantis landed at 3:49 p.m. EDT on Friday.

The challenges posed during STS-117 are invaluable learning experiences that will help the agency prepare for future exploration, William Gerstenmaier, NASA's associate administrator for space operations, explained at a post-landing press conference.

"My hat's off to the team that really pulled off an awesome mission," he said.

The astronauts are set to return to their home base, Johnson Space Center in Houston, on Saturday.

According to Shuttle Launch Director Mike Leinbach, Atlantis may be returned to Kennedy Space Center in Florida in six or seven days. At that point, the orbiter will immediately begin processing for the STS-122 mission, set to launch late this year.

The STS-117 crew began its mission June 8 and arrived at the station June 10. They quickly began work to install the Starboard 3 and 4 (S3/S4) truss structure to the outpost and retracted a set of arrays on the Port 6 (P6) truss. The (S3/S4) contains a new set of solar arrays that increases station power-generation capabilities. The P6 will be relocated during a future assembly mission.

Mission Specialists Patrick Forrester, John “Danny” Olivas, Jim Reilly and Steven Swanson conducted a total of four spacewalks to activate the S3/S4 and to retract the P6 arrays. During the third spacewalk, Olivas repaired an out of position thermal blanket on the left orbital maneuvering system pod.

Landing also marked the end of a record-setting spaceflight by Mission Specialist Suni Williams. She broke the record for the longest spaceflight by a woman early in the morning on June 16.

Williams' journey began in December with the launch of STS-116. She lived on the space station for six months before switching places on the STS-117 crew with Clayton Anderson, who is now a flight engineer on the station. When Atlantis landed, she had accumulated 194 days, 18 hours and 58 minutes during her spaceflight.

STS-117 is the 118th shuttle mission and 21st mission to visit the space station. The next mission, STS-118, is slated to launch in August.

McMahon limo impounded

Mr. McMahon's charred limo is impounded in a top facility in Atlanta.
ATLANTA – As the extensive investigation of Monday’s lethal limousine explosion continues in Pennsylvania, Mr. McMahon’s limo – the integral piece of the puzzle – has been transported to a federal impound facility just outside of Atlanta. WWE.com has obtained exclusive footage of the charred vehicle arriving at the undisclosed lot, which sources say is the best facility of its kind in the nation for an investigation of this type. Watch the footage now...
The stretch limo’s burnt and heavily tarnished remains was carted off on a flatbed truck more than 800 miles south to Georgia where a more thorough examination of the vehicle’s frame will commence. Reportedly, thorough probing by the country’s leading experts will attempt to uncover exactly how the limo exploded.
While forensics specialists comb the crime scene up north, expert analysis in Atlanta may discover evidence that would assist in discerning the whereabouts of the Chairman’s remains. They will be performing a series of meticulous DNA examinations over the next several days.
Continue to check back with WWE.com as more details on the investigation become available.

Feds probe crime scene

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – WWE.com has learned that United States federal agents have arrived at the crime scene in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., where Mr. McMahon was presumed dead less than 24 hours ago. As rumored, given the severity and nature of the explosion, by law, federal authorities have taken full control of the investigation.
As first speculated in previous reports by WWE.com, federal authorities confirmed that a body was not recovered from the limousine’s blackened remains. Investigators believe that Mr. McMahon’s body could possibly have been incinerated in the blast.
With the initial stages of the federal investigation underway in Pennsylvania, authorities have closed the crime scene to check for DNA evidence that may lead to additional information on last night’s shocking events. Forensic experts are scouring the scene and are expected to comb through the wreckage for the next few days in an attempt to find even the most minimal trace of Mr. McMahon’s body.
In addition, explosives experts have arrived in Wilkes-Barre to thoroughly examine the limousine and determine what type of device may have been used in connection with the incident. In the earliest stages of probing, authorities are analyzing each fragment of debris and gathering clues to build their investigation.
At approximately 11:07 p.m. ET last night, the WWE Chairman left the Wachovia Arena and stepped into his stretch limo, which almost instantly combusted before the eyes of millions watching Raw on TV. The sight of the explosion with Mr. McMahon inside the limo drew an eerie hush to an audience that had been wound with excitement just moments earlier during the live WWE Draft. This incident is the first of its kind on U.S. soil since the mid-1970s.
Instants after the blaze was controlled by firefighters in the late morning hours, the charred vehicle was scoured for the Chairman’s remains. Rescue workers and authorities were puzzled by what they found: nothing. Federal agents shared this perplexed state this morning, confirming that a body has yet to be recovered within the melted heap that was once Mr. McMahon’s limo.
Earlier today, WWE.com reached out to representatives of the McMahon family. These representatives stated that the grief-stricken family of the Chairman had no comments to offer at this time, but told reporters that something may be forthcoming in the near future.
As more details become available, continue to check back with WWE.com for exclusive coverage of one of the most shocking events in history.

Mr. McMahon presumed dead

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. – A night originally designated Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night turned deadly when the WWE Chairman’s limousine burst into a fiery explosion just moments after Mr. McMahon stepped into it. Permanently uprooting the world of sports-entertainment, the Chairman has been presumed dead in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Local authorities stated it was still too early to declare anything as fact, including exactly what caused the incident, but described the blast as an apparent "limo explosion." They also revealed that as of 11:30 p.m. ET, no body had been recovered from the incinerated wreckage.
Firefighters were quick to assess the scene, taping off sections of the parking lot to protect the evident crime scene and safeguard scores of onlookers – mostly our fans – from potential injury. Despite the intense heat and ubiquitous clouds of black smoke, countless people spilled out of the arena to get a closer look at the chaos they had just seen happen live on the TitanTron. Moments earlier, the sold-out crowd came to a still hush as they speechlessly watched from their seats.
Local police and fire officials on the scene reported that WWE fans’ 911 calls from the Wachovia Arena flooded the Wilkes-Barre area emergency services switchboard soon after the explosion, showing that while our fans might not have seen eye-to-eye with the sometimes-devious Chairman, they still cared for his personal well-being.
“By the time we arrived on the scene, the entire automobile was on fire,” explained a Wilkes-Barre firefighter. “It was like an inferno, and our guys were doing whatever they could to contain it as quickly as possible. In my 27 years with the fire department, I’ve never seen anything like that.”
The emblazoned limousine was engulfed by flames that reached skyward at estimated heights of more than 30 feet. The sight of the charred debris led to speculation that there was no conceivable way anyone could have escaped from the limo alive. Early assessments from local firefighters and police officers sent a similar feeling regarding the probability of the Chairman’s survival.
“We’re doing our best to respect the McMahon family and the fans of WWE,” the firefighter said. “However, with that said, we have not found anything – there hasn’t been confirmation that Mr. McMahon’s body was extracted from the limo.”
As the physical body of Mr. McMahon remains to be uncovered, perhaps the most perplexing piece to this puzzle is the Chairman’s uncanny, almost clairvoyant premonition of tonight’s grim events. Over the last few weeks on WWE programming, the swaggering, well-off billionaire seemed to unravel right before the eyes of millions. Speaking of a threatening presence that lurked in his foreseeable future, Mr. McMahon even cited the looming of a “black cloud” last week – a cloud very similar to the post-combustive smoke that billowed above his limousine tonight.
Was this evening an eerie prophecy fulfilled for Mr. McMahon, given his recent premonitions? Or was it simply a fateful execution of coincidence? The ominous reality is that what was brushed off as incoherent ramblings of a broken man and former ECW World Champion actually may have proven to be an exercising of a recently discovered sixth sense.
This incident is the first of its kind in the U.S. since the assassination of political figure Orlando Letelier in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Sources say that given the nature of the apparent limo explosion, under law federal authorities will be called in for a more thorough investigation that would supersede local Pennsylvania authorities.
Check back with WWE.com as we continue to follow developments in the most shocking incident in sports-entertainment history.

Eyewitness Views of WWE ChairMan Presumed Dead.

WILKES-BARRE, Pa. - The flames have been extinguished, but the Pennsylvania air remains thick with fear and uncertainty following Mr. McMahon’s presumed death from an apparent limousine explosion on Raw Monday night. For a long time to come, fans who attended the televised event in Wilkes-Barre will not be able to extinguish the all-too-vivid memories of a thunderous explosion outside the arena, a white stretch vehicle engulfed in flames…and, according to one eyewitness, a seared corpse hanging outside the limo.
“It was disgusting,” described Lucas Adnyl, a Curry Hill resident who made a 20-minute commute with a friend to watch Raw live at the arena. “A whole mess of people ran out of the building right after the explosion, and some of us got a pretty good look before [police officers and firefighters] cordoned off the area. I thought I saw Mr. McMahon’s body in the car, but I can’t say for sure; whatever it was, it was completely covered in flames. And the smell…God, I thought I was going to lose it.”
Adela Montoya drove nearly an hour from her home in Junedale so that her son Luis could have a birthday he’d always remember. Now she fears that he may never forget the moments following the explosion.
“We were having a great time when we heard the blast outside,” she recalled. “I thought we were under attack or something. My boy started crying, so I headed for the exits. We ran out as fast as we could.”
“It was hard to see anything with all that smoke coming from the car,” said Rob Mills, a Ronconcoma, N.Y.-based postal worker who was in Wilkes-Barre visiting his parents for the week. “One policeman pushed me and some friends behind a barrier, so we were a pretty good distance away while the firemen tried putting out the car. I don’t know how they could stand it, because those flames were hot as hell, even from where I was standing.”
Frank Vesley, of Parsippany, N.J., admits that he couldn’t see much of the blaze up close, nor did he need to. “The flames were so bright you could have used them to land an airplane nearby,” he said. “Personally, I didn’t mind all that much that McMahon’s limo went up, though I feel a little bad for his family. He was kind of a jerk, but I guess nobody should lose a loved one like that.”

Outpouring continues

Mr. McMahon just moments before his limo exploded.
For years Mr. McMahon’s bravado, coupled with his constant harassment of Superstars, created a major rift with our fans. But after the horrendous limo explosion on Raw, our fans have shown that regardless of his past transgressions, they still care about the man who vaulted sports-entertainment to where it is today.
In fact, the Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Police Department has been inundated with well-wishers in the wake of the McMahon tragedy, and police detective Lt. Will Clark told WWE.com he has never seen the station busier.
“We have never in our time seen this amount of calls,” he said, “hands down this is the most ever.” Clark continued, “I would say the amount of attention we are getting is second to none.”
And just what are people looking for when they call the Wilkes-Barre Police Department? “Everyone is wondering about the progress of the investigation,” said Clark. He then told WWE.com that the department itself has concerns because of the influx of calls they have taken. “We have had to utilize more manpower and resources than ever before because of the volume of calls through our station and the local 911 center.”
Such an outpouring from our fans around the world for Mr. McMahon shows that despite all his antics in the past, and although he made it his business to step on a few people on his way to the top, the Chairman might actually still have a place in the hearts of each and every fan.
Perhaps this response was foreshadowed by WWE Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes, who was in Wilkes-Barre Monday night as part of Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night. Rhodes’ words still eerily resonate with anyone who saw Raw or has followed this breaking news all week. “Mr. McMahon’s legacy is in this building,” Rhodes said. “You don’t have to love him, you do not have to like him, you do not even have to agree with his psychology of this industry; one thing we all have to do is respect him.”
Based on what WWE.com was told by Clark, our fans seem to agree with the American Dream.
Love him or loathe him, the respect being shown by each and every fan in the wake of this tragedy shows that no matter how underhanded and mean-spirited Mr. McMahon has been over the years, he still will always be respected.

A morning of mourning for Mr. McMahon

STAMFORD, Conn. – After Monday’s horrific events on Raw, those “dark clouds” the Chairman once spoke of are now felt prominently in the halls and offices of WWE headquarters.
With Mr. McMahon presumed dead, the corporate flag on the roof of Titan Tower was lowered to half-staff Tuesday morning. The company McMahon built into a sports-entertainment giant began to mourn the passing of its leader and visionary.
Many WWE staffers are still suffering from the trauma of seeing their corporate leader’s limousine explode on live television just after Mr. McMahon entered it.
“I sat there stunned, not believing what I just saw,” said marketing employee Stefanie Granata. “Then I just cried. You just don’t realize how precious life is until something like this happens.”
Though federal officials at the scene have not recovered his body from the charred chassis of the limo, investigators believe that Mr. McMahon’s body could possibly have been incinerated in the blast.
Some WWE employees wore black clothing to express their sadness. Others have left flowers by the Chairman’s office door. And if you listen closely, faint sobbing can be overheard occasionally amongst the din of the phones, fax machines and printers.
Heather Lubin, a long-time marketing employee, said the loss is being felt hard around the Stamford offices – mostly because of the unexpected, unexplained nature of the tragedy.
“It’s hard to cope with this tragedy when there’s so many questions unanswered,” Lubin said. “Who could do such a thing to Mr. McMahon?”
As for Liz Montgomery, a WWE creative services employee, she hopes that everyone can come together and help each other cope with the shocking loss of the company’s heart and soul.
“He’ll be truly, truly missed,” Montgomery said. “Wherever he is now, I hope it’s in a good place. But we’re going to miss him terribly.”

Investigation expands, Chairman's headquarters searched

STAMFORD, Conn. – Federal authorities investigating the presumed death of Mr. McMahon visited the Chairman’s office at WWE corporate headquarters earlier this morning, and were seen loading what appeared to be hundreds of boxes into vans, WWE.com has learned.
Sources close to the investigation say officials arrived at Titan Tower at 6 a.m. The federal officers, sources said, were gathering evidence in search of any clues in the apparent fiery demise of Mr. McMahon, who may have perished Monday night at the end of Raw when the limousine he had just entered exploded. So far, authorities have not recovered Mr. McMahon’s body or any of his remains.
Insisting that they could not comment on an ongoing investigation, FBI officials would not reveal what the agents were looking for or what they removed from the Chairman’s office. But according to one anonymous source, investigators rummaged through hundreds of McMahon’s files and dusted his office for fingerprints. They also, the source said, were seen taking the WWE visionary’s computers off the premises.
The agents were said to have spent three hours combing through files and removing materials. When they were finished, the Chairman’s office – which normally was filled with cabinets and state-of-art computers – had been stripped clean. Its carpeting had been removed, and normally organized bookshelves were left in disarray.
Federal authorities, sources said, are also looking at the Chairman’s e-mail and all of his writings for any clues. They are especially looking at anything he may have written in the last two weeks, when his behavior became increasingly erratic.
Will anything taken from Mr. McMahon’s office – any e-mail on his computers – provide any clues? Stay with WWE.com for further updates on the investigation as details become available.
Log on later this week as our reporters hope to talk to the lead detective in the federal investigation. In addition, tune in to SmackDown on Friday at 8/7 CT to find out the latest developments in the probe and watch the tribute to Mr. McMahon.

Dissecting the explosion of wwe

Federal authorities have seized control of the heap of incinerated metal that was once Mr. McMahon’s limousine. To determine whether foul play was responsible for the vehicular blast that presumably killed WWE’s Chairman Monday night, the tiresome task of recovering and sifting through useable evidence is now under the utmost scrutiny of the nation’s most well-funded investigation unit.
If it’s confirmed that a criminal party engineered the explosion, the next question to answer is how the nefarious scheme was carried out. To fill in the blanks regarding the specifics of the explosion, WWE.com contacted Patrick C. Riggs, a veteran explosives expert from a Brooklyn, N.Y.,-based operation.
Watching video of the blast, Riggs was able to determine that it was a professionally structured, calculated blast. However, since most – if not all – usable evidence seems to have been destroyed, Riggs claims that not everything he says can be guaranteed.
“Whoever did this knew exactly what they were doing. No amateur would have had the knowledge to create an explosion of that intensity,” he said. “Without prior experience or knowledge of explosives, such a blast could not have been constructed so precisely.”
Another point of interest was the timing of how the scene unfolded.
“Watch for the origin of the spark,” Riggs explained, using a laser pointer to indicate under the right rear axle. “As soon as the door shuts – boom! That’s exactly how it was supposed to work. It was perfectly engineered and executed.”
Could the door have been on a trigger, and if so, what served as the figurative striking of the match? “A radio-controlled device was definitely used as the ignition,” Riggs stated. “The detonator could have been as small as a cell phone and attached to the limo’s gas line. It was most likely sourced underneath the passenger compartment. Once it was ignited, the gasoline from the vehicle became the accelerant.”
Riggs, a 23-year explosives expert, who has both consulted on feature films and been an expert witness in courtrooms, isn’t surprised that federal investigators are currently unable to find eyewitnesses who would have seen someone attaching the explosives to the limousine.
”It doesn’t take long to accomplish,“ he said. “The whole thing could have been completed in a matter of seconds. All they needed was to find out where the gas tank was located.”
And since a pocket-sized piece of equipment was used, no visible signs of tampering would have been evident to anyone – including the former WWE Chairman. Not that his apparent state of mind (or lack thereof) at the time would have allowed him to see such a red flag, even if it was in plain view.
“Mr. McMahon would not have been able to tell something was wrong with the limo by sight or smell,” Riggs assured. “In fact, a full tank of gas would have easily been capable of creating that type of combustion. As far as Mr. McMahon knew, that limo was no different than the type he used to drive in every day and night.”
According to Riggs, the fact that a remote device was used raises another concern.
“Theoretically, there could have been multiple assailants,” he said. “Someone could have been at the scene to notify someone up to half a mile away to press the red button. It’s certainly something to think about.”
At press time, there have not been any discoveries to prove – or disprove – any of the ideas that Riggs has put forward. As federal authorities work around the clock in search of answers regarding this matter, one can only wonder if these questions, or any others, will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Surprise vigil and memorial for the Chairman

STAMFORD, Conn. – Whether he was looking down on ordinary 9 to 5ers from his corporate office at the Titan Tower or berating onlookers from “his” ring on Raw, SmackDown or ECW on Sci Fi, Mr. McMahon often held our fans in great contempt. The Chairman probably would have never believed that these same fans would drive hundreds of miles to honor him with mountains of flowers, cards and pictures after seeing his apparent fiery demise on Raw this past Monday.
Hundreds of baskets of carnations, sympathy cards, teddy bears, daisies and orchids lined the entrance to the Titan Tower as countless fans made a makeshift memorial to Mr. McMahon, who is presumed dead after the limousine he entered exploded at the end of Raw. Some preferred to leave pictures of the Chairman, while others placed toy replica belts of the ECW World Title he held briefly. But everyone WWE.com interviewed said that while they didn’t love Mr. McMahon, they respected him as a pioneer in the world of sports-entertainment and wanted to thank him for entertaining them all these years.
“I hated the arrogant b******, but I had to come,” said a tearful Peter Frager, who said he drove all the way from Borger, Texas. “I’ve watched wrestling for so many years – I grew up watching him, even during the days when he was just an announcer. It’s going to be weird watching WWE without him.”
One fan, dressed in a retro powder blue sports jacket with the old World Wrestling Federation logo that was once the Chairman’s trademark, was too overcome with grief to talk. His shoulders shook and lips quivered before he buried his face in his hands. He had to be held by his two friends that were at his side.
“He used to practice the Chairman’s strut and swagger,” one friend said. “He’s barely eaten since seeing the explosion. But he insisted on coming here and paying his respects.”
Do’ rags, candles and signs that read “Vince: The Real Icon,” “Long Live the Chairman,” and “The Immortal McMahon” were scattered among the throng of well-wishers gathered outside the Tower. The eyes of some WWE employees widened and some jaws dropped at the outpouring of love for Mr. McMahon.
“I have never seen anything like this,” said a receptionist at the headquarters. “It’s just amazing. … I could barely maneuver past the flower baskets when I returned from lunch.”
The McMahon family remained heavily on the minds of our fans. Harold Laurel, of Bayonne, N.J., said the Chairman’s tragedy hit him especially hard. Looking up at his 3-year-old – who was sitting on his shoulders and was preoccupied with sucking on a Jolly Rancher – Laurel said that McMahon’s presumed death reminded him that life can be too random and too short to be taken for granted.
“The fact that this happened just before Father’s Day – it’s just terrible, terrible,” he said. “I know how Shane and Stephanie must feel – my Dad passed away around this time last year. I just hope they can get through this and help their mother get through this.”
Laurel then gently knelt down as he enabled his son to come down from his shoulders. The boy continued eating his Jolly Rancher as his father enveloped his small fingers in his hands.
“Entertainment aside, this whole thing just reminds me that we have to cherish each other every day,” Laurel continued. “I’ll miss seeing Mr. McMahon. He was evil, but he still had a family. I hope he has found some peace.”

Mr. McMahon's parting analysis

Mr. McMahon did not appear to be himself moments before his limo exploded.

Mr. McMahon is presumed dead, the victim of an apparent limousine explosion moments before Raw signed off the television waves Monday night. As a federal investigation into the incident forges ahead, a slew of questions demand answers — among them, determining Mr. McMahon’s very last thoughts, as well as possible reasons for his bipolar behavior during his seemingly final instants on this mortal plane.
Last week, WWE.com asked a prominent psychiatrist from Connecticut to analyze the billionaire, whose disturbing disorders had soared off the charts since losing his ECW World Title to Lashley at One Night Stand. “Jane Doe, Ph.D.”— identified as such to protect her against any legal or personal retribution from the Chairman’s office in Stamford-based WWE World Headquarters — had evaluated that Mr. McMahon was “a ticking time bomb of pent-up rage,” suffering from severe manic episodes. But after watching the events that transpired on Raw Monday night, even Dr. Doe, a mental health expert with nearly 17 years experience in the field, admitted that she was “truly horrified.”
For a moment, WWE.com assumed that the psychiatrist was speaking of the tremendous explosion that engulfed the Chairman’s limousine and in all probability incinerated his body. But then Dr. Doe further elaborated on her statement. “After getting over the initial shock of what had occurred, I reviewed a tape of Raw several times,” she said. “Upon doing so, there is no doubt in my mind that Mr. McMahon believed his end was near.”
Inferring that Mr. McMahon demonstrated some “sixth sense” about his impending doom sounds like sheer lunacy. Dr. Doe rejects our portrayal of the notion, dismissing it as “some Hollywood-glamorized analogy,” but she stands by her shocking statement. “I had no reason to make such an observation until after the subject expired in the explosion, and no physical evidence exists to support my claim,” she admitted. “But the signs are definitely there.”
These “signs” to which Dr. Doe refers are commonly known as the Five Stages of Grief. “Elisabeth Kübler-Ross first presented these stages as a model in her book On Death and Dying,” she explained. “Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance.... Those who are either terminally ill or have just lost a loved one often experience each of these stages. Everyone, myself included, became so distracted by his manic behavior that it was simple to overlook ‘Mr. McMahon Appreciation Night,’ which in essence was a self-imposed journey toward accepting his own fate.
“Consider his behavior on Raw, ECW and SmackDown the week before,” she continued. “He simultaneously wavered between denial and anger over losing his ECW Title. By ordering matches at the spur of a moment — particularly that Last Chance Match between [World Heavyweight Champion] Edge and Batista at Vengeance: Night of Champions — one could assess that Mr. McMahon was actually bargaining for more time. Perhaps he thought that by shaking the foundation of his company, and its champions, he could somehow prolong his own legacy.”
The psychiatrist also cites that prior “McMahon-ic attacks” — including his Raw reference to an “ominous black cloud” approaching, plus his rocking-chair catatonia at ECW — were, in effect, masking the stage of depression. “I think he tried countering his mixed state by levying one of his so-called ‘Appreciation Nights.’ Sadly, even in his addled condition, he must have understood deep down that he formed his empire by destroying countless lives in the industry, and would therefore not find many admirers.”
And that final stage of acceptance? “Just think back to his opening statement on Raw Monday,” Dr. Doe said. “His bipolar behavior was responsible for the shaking in his hands, as well as a low attention span that required him to read his own words from a sheet of paper. In retrospect, by describing what was about to occur that night as the ‘defining moment’ of his life, he was really telling everyone that he had stopped looking back, and was now facing forward.”
Is Dr. Doe insinuating that the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, a self-made billionaire who also achieved ring victories over the likes of Undertaker, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and Bobby Lashley, had actually developed some sort of death wish? “Not at all,” she rectified. “I believe he enjoyed life to its fullest, particularly — judging by those who spoke at his ‘Appreciation Night’— when his own self-gratification caused others misery. However, it is possible that something or someone provoked a fatalist mentality within him…made him believe that no matter how much he kicked and screamed, he couldn’t change his fate.”
According to the mental health expert, evidence of Mr. McMahon resigning himself to such a fate, however circumstantial, lies within his body language and facial expressions during Raw’s last 10 minutes.
“Watching his sudden inability to speak, plus dropping that microphone in the ring, had nothing to do with his shifts between mania and depression,” she explained. “If anything, he almost looked euphoric —his slight smile and wandering gaze implied realization, that he knew some heavy weight was about to be lifted from his shoulders. It also wouldn’t surprise me if he walked away completely unaware of the audience in attendance, or even the Superstars standing around the arena hallway. In his mind, everyone pretty much ceased to exist.”
Dr. Doe insists that if Mr. McMahon held onto one belief, regardless of grief stages, moods or mania, it was a sense of self-preservation. “He’s built his fortune on being a survivor, so if someone could have firmly reached out to him, I don’t think you and I would be discussing this tragedy today,” she said. “If you watch the footage again, he’s taking deep breaths just as he leaves the arena. Then he’s looking behind or around him while he’s walking toward his limousine. He couldn’t have known what was about to happen, but he was clearly preparing himself for something unpleasant. I think that somewhere inside, he was also hoping that someone would come to his rescue at the last moment. Unfortunately, it never happened.”
When all is said and done, does Dr. Doe suspect foul play at hand? “Sorry, but I’m not some TV psychiatrist who solves mysteries on the side,” she replied. “Police work isn’t my field of expertise, so I’d rather let the authorities form their own conclusions. If there was a puppet master pulling Mr. McMahon’s strings from afar, I’m sure they’ll be found out. I simply hope that the McMahon family, the WWE Superstars and your fans take the time to mourn and heal from this terrible ordeal.”

Henin now ranks among all-time best

After a crisp forehand volley winner, the destruction was complete. Justine Henin bent over the net, dropped her racket and broke into a wide smile after winning her fourth French Open crown with a 6-1, 6-2 domination of Ana Ivanovic in the final on Saturday.
The 25-year-old Belgian is already the world's best clay courter. And given how high she sets the bar for herself, she must be already thinking about what she needs to do to seize the mantle of Best Player of her Generation from Serena Williams.
She coolly handled Serena in the quarterfinals and then shattered the dream of tiny Serbia, woman-handling ambitious Jelena Jankovic and then Ivanovic, the charismatic 19-year-old who had no idea what hit her.
"Queen of Clay is good," said Henin when asked what moniker fit her. "It's amazing. When I was a little girl and dreaming of coming here and playing the tournament and winning it, then I did it four times, and three times in a row, and two times without losing a set. It's just great."
Henin is a tornado on clay — and a controlled one at that. She's a master of execution and intensity who understands that on a great day, no other player can touch her because she simply brings too much to the table. No other player can run with her, slide with her, mix and match shots with her. When she first became a significant player in 2001, she was an itsy bitsy retriever with little power. But now she can slug it out off both wings, and is awfully daring in her shot selection.
While she may have been able to beat Serena, Jankovic and Ivanovic by playing steely defense and challenging them to hit through her, she took a different tactic this year, choosing to go on the offensive early in matches. She went for big serves, forehands and heavily topspinned backhands. Most important, she leapt into her returns, taking her foes' second serves early and on the rise, and punishing balls deep and at their feet. All three opponents were out of it by the second set, because they knew that if they couldn't sting a first serve, they would be forced into blocking back a mid-court ball that Henin was ready and willing to crush for a winner.
She drained them of their confidence, and before they knew it they were off the court.
Justine Henin raises her arms up in celebration after winning the French Open. (Michel Spingler / Associated Press)

Henin never lost her focus, not for a second. She played every point like it was her last and won most of them. Court Philippe Chatrier (Roland Garros' Center Court) at the French Open is her palace and in four finals there, she's never lost a set. Even more unbelievable — she's only dropped 13 games. That's the stuff of legends, reminiscent of Monica Seles, the last woman before Henin to win three straight crowns, and all-time great Steffi Graf, who won six titles.
"I keep fighting on every point. I don't want to give anything to anyone," Henin said. "I was ready for a big fight. I was ready for an easy match. I was ready for everything. It's good not to expect too many things, and just live the moment."
Ivanovic can learn a lot of Henin, as she showed little composure in the contest, completely frozen by the big occasion and was never able to unleash the powerful arsenal that got her to her first Slam final. Henin and her longtime coach, Carlos Rodriguez, had a long talk last Sunday night about the need to believe in herself and her skills.
"It's only at the end of the tournament that I felt better," said Henin. "I feel free. I feel myself. But I am an anxious person anyway. So I never want to miss any points. I always want to be there when needed. I always was very consistent because I had a very strict discipline in my life. I don't want to lose control, and sometimes when I do things wrong, I can feel it. I have an angel telling me that I should be back on track, and Carlos knows me very well. And I need this discipline to be able to do well. I need someone to help me find the right path. And once I'm on it, then it's okay."
What seems to separate the Belgian is her ability to maintain focus on how she should construct points, rather then allow herself to become enveloped in the meaning of the occasion. Even in her losses in Grand Slam finals, she has never been wiped out.
"In the beginning of the match, I felt okay," Ivanovic said. "I was trying to put the nerves aside, emotions aside. But then, in the first service game, it's all of a sudden, from one point to another. It just hit me. She's been there before, and she won Grand Slams many times before. So she knew how to deal with the nerves."
Henin is still two major crowns short of Serena's mark of eight. They are the same age, but Serena has had to deal with more severe injuries and it's hard to see her going all out for another four years, especially when she still maintains a number of off-court pursuits.
The Belgian doesn't have those kinds of distractions, which means that in great health, she should be able to get herself into contention at every major and threaten Serena's position as the best of the best.

Henin has gone through a lot since the beginning of the year, when she separated from her husband, Pierre Yves Hardenne. After nearly seven years of not talking to her father, brothers and sister, she contacted them during the late winter and has now begun to repair the wounds that came about after the death of her mother, Francoise, when she was 11. Three years after her mother's death, Henin moved into Rodriguez's house because she and her father didn't agree on her career course. She then began to lose touch with her siblings, whom she was angry at for siding with their father.
But feeling blue as her marriage fell apart, she decided to attempt to repair her other significant relationships and on Saturday, her siblings sat in the Friend's Box. They all looked quite pleased, as did Henin, who expanded her support circle significantly.
"It's important to me," said Henin. "It's been seven years now and it's great to have them back. Love is important, life is short and you need to enjoy your time. It's been an unbelievable moment for everyone. What happened in the past is the past. And I just want to move forward and enjoy every moment of my life with them back in it now. It's been hard for me, everything I lived in the last few months, ups and downs, good things, bad things. And then I just realized that it's life. And life is ups and downs and you have to accept it."
With her life coming to together off the court, a bigger task lies ahead for Henin on court — winning the one major crown that eludes her at Wimbledon. She reached the final there twice, falling to Venus Williams in 2001 and to Amelie Mauresmo last year. Henin certainly has the all-around game to win the crown, but has been unable to get over the hump at the All England Club. Plus, her major rivals — the Williams sisters, Maria Sharapova and Mauresmo — bring a lot more to the surface on the green blades.
But can you really doubt Henin, the woman who seems to have an endless supply of motivation? When asked what she's feeling now, she took the word "joy" over pride. She's put her troubles behind her and can see the future clearly with a grin on her face.
"I make my decisions," she said. "I just try to build on something, pretty strong. I just turned 25. I just want to know how I'm going to be happy in my life."
She's off to a pretty good start.

Nationwide demonstration held to urge for constitutional reform, Passes off peacefully

Demonstrations calling for constitutional reform took place yesterday across the country, passing off peacefully. The MDP National Council resolved to hold the protests following the DRP boycott of Special Majlis meetings and in support of setting the voting age for the upcoming constitutional referendum at 18.
Several thousand people gathered in Male’ to hear speeches given by the MDP leadership and youth members. Demonstrations took place in islands across the country.
Constitutional reform has been slowed by the DRP and Presidential appointees boycotting numerous sessions of the Special Majlis. When eventually pressured to attend the Majlis, the Speaker did not allow for a debate on the voting age for the upcoming referendum on the country’s system of government.
Avoiding a debate on this issue contravened both the Majlis rules of procedure and the advice of the Majlis Administrative Committee made up of ten DRP MPs and one independent MP, who recommended that such a debate be allowed.
The MDP advocates for a parliamentary system of government and for the voting age for the referendum to be 18, in line with international norms, the age of adulthood as defined in Maldivian legislation, and the draft constitution. The DRP promotes a presidential system and maintains that the age should be 21, fearing that the 18-21 age group will vote against them. While the Special Majlis has the power to decide the terms of its own referendum – including what the voting age should be – the DRP argue that rules governing referenda organised by the President should apply.
MDP Acting President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki said:
“There are at least 23,000 people aged between 18 and 21 in this country who the government is trying to disenfranchise.
“In all other respects these people are considered adults by the state. You can’t say one minute that you want people to act as responsible adults and the next minute patronise them and say they can’t vote.
“We are a young country and these people are our future. We must allow them to take part in the democratic debate. “By blocking even a debate on this issue, the government is only slowing the process of constitutional reform. We need to move ahead quickly with a referendum where all adults can vote so that the constitution can finally be amended