NASA delays shuttle launch at least until weekend

NASA on Sunday delayed the launch of the space shuttle Endeavour at least until the end of the week as work continues to resolve an electronics problem that scuttled Friday's launch attempt, officials said.

NASA tried to launch Endeavour on Friday on its 25th and final flight to deliver the $2 billion (1 billion pounds) Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer particle detector to the International Space Station.

A problem with a heating system on one of the ship's hydraulic power generators prompted managers to stop the countdown. The heaters keep fuel from freezing in the line, preventing it from rupturing in the cold vacuum of space.

NASA was hopeful that the problem would have an easy solution and retargeted Endeavour's launch for Monday, but said another attempt would not happen before the end of the week, at the earliest.

"The trouble-shooting that was done overnight doesn't seem to indicate that it's one of the simple things," NASA spokesman Mike Curie said.

Replacing and retesting an electronics box in the shuttle's engine compartment would take several days. The flight would not be rescheduled until after Friday's planned launch of an Atlas 5 rocket with a Defence Department missile-warning satellite from nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

Endeavour's six astronauts were headed back to the Johnson Space Centre in Houston for a few days of additional training before they return for the next launch attempt, NASA said.

The mission is the next-to-last for the 30-year-old shuttle program, which is ending after sister ship Atlantis completes its final voyage this summer.

51pc Pakistanis sad over Laden

A majority of Pakistanis surveyed in a poll appeared to be aggrieved over the death of Osama bin Laden, with 51 per cent describing their emotions as 'grief'.
However, one-third said they were unconcerned by the incident, reports NDTV.
The nationwide poll was conducted by Gallup Pakistan between May 7 and May 10, less than a week after bin Laden was killed in a raid by US special forces in the garrison city of Abbottabad on May 2.
Only 11 per cent of respondents said they were glad or relieved to know about the death of the al-Qaeda leader.
Forty-four per cent said they considered bin Laden a martyr while 28 per cent said they believed he was killed because he was an outlaw.
Forty-nine per cent considered the raid against bin Laden an activity which was staged by the Americans.
Only 26 per cent believed the story being told is true and 25 per cent were unsure.
A majority said they believed Pakistani authorities acted in connivance with American forces to conduct the operation.
The belief about connivance is slightly higher for the civilian government (57 percent) than for the army (48 percent).
Only 30 percent said they believed that having eliminated bin Laden, the US forces will withdraw from Afghanistan.
A larger number (51 percent) believed the US will continue to engage in the war in Afghanistan. Most Pakistanis feared that terrorist acts in their country might rise (42 percent) or remain as they are (34 percent).
Only a few (14 percent) were hopeful that terrorism might decline after bin Laden's removal from the scene.
More than two thirds (68 percent) believed the country's sovereignty was severely compromised by the US operation while 28 percent disagreed.
The study was released by Gilani Foundation and carried out by Gallup Pakistan, the Pakistani affiliate of Gallup International. The poll covered 2,530 men and women in the rural and urban areas.

Special panel exploring 'ways'

The special parliamentary committee is looking for practical ways to add to the constitution the Supreme Court order that rescinded the caretaker government but kept provision for caretakers overseeing the next two general elections.

Several members of the committee on constitution amendment on Monday hinted they were on the lookout after the top court said parliament may amend the charter deleting provisions requiring former chief justices or the judges of the Appellate Division at the helm.
The apex court on May 10 repealed the 13th Amendment to the constitution that introduced the caretaker government.
Committee member Rashed Khan Menon told  that prime minister Sheikh Hasina wants the system to be retained in 'any form'.
"But the issues in this regard need discussion," he said.
During the talks with the committee on Apr 27, Hasina suggested if the caretaker government fails to ensure elections in three months, the previous elected government will do the job.

The committee on Friday briefed the prime minister on the Supreme Court verdict.