OPPOSITION YOUTH EXTEND PROTESTS FOR TWO MOR DAYS UPDATE Kathmandu, 6 Aug.: UMLyouth Monday extended their two-day partial disruption of vehicular movement for another two days Tuesday and Wednesday. Morning session of educational institutions were disrupted. Nnnn GOVT. PRO INDIAN SAY OPPOSITION YOUTH LEAERS Kathmandu, 6 Aug.: Nine student organizations affiliated to different political parties have accused the present government of acting at the behest of India thereby jeopardizing national integrity, RSS reports. The mum of the government over the statement by Indian professor SD Muni that King Tribhuvan had intended to annex Nepal into India, and reference of the letters by Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai to the Indian government during the insurgency was against national integrity and nationality, they said. Coordinator of All Nepal National Independent Students Union (ANNISU-Revolutionary) Sharad Rasaili said the meeting of the nine student unions urged the government to be serious about nationality, and tame the growing foreign meddling in the country. Similarly, the students organizations have also decided to take the struggle against commercialization of education to the local level by debunking the colleges named after foreign places and clubs. They would also form struggle mobilization coordination committee at the local levels on Monday. The students have planned to rally before the campuses, organize transport strike on Tuesday, stage a sit-in for two hours before the district education offices throughout the country on 8 August, organize torch rallies in major cities on 10 August and close down all campuses run by the CTEVT on 12 August. The meeting was attended by Nepal Student Union affiliated to the Nepali Congress, ANNFSU affiliated to the CPN-UML and others. nnnn MARS ROVER CURIOSITY LANDS ON RED PLANET Kathmandu, 6 Aug.:: The Mars science rover Curiosity landed on the Martian surface shortly after 10:30 p.m. Pacific time on Sunday (1:30 a.m. EDT Monday/0530 GMT) to begin a two-year mission seeking evidence the Red Planet once hosted ingredients for life, NASA said, Reuters reports from Pasedena. . Mission controllers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory near Los Angeles said they received signals relayed by a Martian orbiter confirming that the rover had survived a make-or-break descent and landing attempt to touch down as planned inside a vast impact crater. NASA has described the feat as perhaps the most complex ever in robotic spaceflight. The $2.5 billion Curiosity project, formally called the Mars Science Laboratory, is NASA's first astrobiology mission since the 1970s-era Viking probes. The landing, a major victory for a US space agency beleaguered by budget cuts and the recent loss of its space shuttle program, was greeted with raucous applause and tears of joy by jubilant engineers and scientists at mission control. After a journey from Earth of more than 350 million miles (567 million km), engineers were confident that the rover, the size of a small sports car, would land precisely as planned near the foot of a tall mountain rising from the floor of Gale Crater in Mars' southern hemisphere. Facing deep cuts in its science budget and struggling to regain its footing after cancellation of the space shuttle program - NASA's centerpiece for 30 years - the agency has much at stake in the outcome of the $2.5 billion mission. President Barack Obama's top science adviser, John Holdren, was among the dignitaries visiting JPL on Sunday for the landing, along with NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. "It's critically important for the nation because it allows us to stay on pace for what the president asked us to, getting humans to Mars in the mid-2030s," Bolden told Reuters. He added that success also was key to NASA's international partners in 12 countries in maintaining public and government support abroad for their continued funding. Mars is the chief component of NASA's long-term deep space exploration plans. Curiosity, the space agency's first astrobiology mission since the 1970s-era Viking probes, is designed primarily to search for evidence that the planet most similar to Earth may once have harbored the necessary building blocks for microbial life to evolve. Packed with gadgets The rover, formally called the Mars Science Lab, is equipped with an array of sophisticated chemistry and geology instruments capable of analyzing samples of soil, rocks and atmosphere on the spot and beaming results back to scientists on Earth. One is a laser gun that can zap a rock from 23 feet (7 meters) away to create a spark whose spectral image is analyzed by a special telescope to discern the mineral's chemical composition. Nearing the end of its journey encased in a capsule-like shell, Curiosity was essentially flying on automatic pilot, guided by a computer packed with pre-programmed instructions. From 154 million miles (248 million kilometers) away, 1,400 scientists, engineers and guests waited at JPL to learn Curiosity's fate, among them film star Morgan Freeman, television's "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek, comic actor Seth Green and actress June Lockhart of "Lost in Space" fame. Another 5,000 people will be watching from the nearby California Institute of Technology, the academic home of JPL. In a good-luck tradition dating back to the 1970s, engineers in the control room at JPL plan to break out cans of roasted peanuts about an hour before landing. Nnnn SIX KILLED IN ATTACK ON SIKH TEMPLE IN USA Kathmandu, 6Aug.: A gunman killed six people and critically wounded three at a Sikh temple during Sunday services before police shot him dead in an attack that authorities are treating as an act of domestic terrorism, Reuters reports from Oak Creel in USA. Witnesses said the gunman opened fire when he entered the kitchen at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in suburban Milwaukee at about 10:30 a.m. CDT (1530 GMT) as women prepared a Sunday meal, sending worshippers fleeing to escape the barrage. The suspect was a bald, white man, approximately 40 years old, said Thomas Ahern, a spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Authorities did not release his identity. Four people were shot dead inside the sprawling temple. Three, including the gunman, were killed outside. The gunman ambushed and shot a police officer who was responding to a 911 call and helping a shooting victim, Oak Creek Police Chief John Edwards said. A second officer shot and killed the gunman. Edwards said he had no identification for the shooter nor information on what kind of weapon or weapons he had. The victims' identities and descriptions were not made public. The wounded officer, a 20-year veteran, was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. Hospital officials said two other victims, also in critical condition, were being treated. Law enforcement personnel surrounded and searched a gray, two-storey house in the Cudahy neighborhood presumed to be the residence of the gunman on Sunday evening. Generators and floodlights were set up along the middle-class block. A police source confirmed that a search warrant had been issued for the house, and a bomb squad was on the scene. Temple member and U.S. Army Reserve combat medic Jagpal Singh, 29, said people who were at the service when the shooting broke out described to him a scene of chaos and confusion. Worshippers scrambled to escape the gunfire, but some tragically ran in the wrong direction. Others survived the rampage by locking themselves in bathrooms, he said. Singh said eyewitnesses described the shooter as a white man who was either shave-headed or bald. "DOMESTIC TERRORIST" Turban-wearing Sikhs are often mistaken for Muslims, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is overseeing the probe into shootings, Edwards said. "We're treating this as a domestic terrorist incident," he told reporters. Officials had no details about a possible motive. Milwaukee's Froedtert Hospital said three male victims included one who had been shot in the abdomen, one in the extremities and face, and a third who was hit in the neck. The Oak Creek shooting was the latest in a series of suburban U.S. gun rampages. Organizations fighting gun violence rate Wisconsin's gun safety laws from low to moderate. There are no limits on the number of firearms that can be purchased at one time, nor on the possession or transfer of assault weapons, according to the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Sunday's attack came just over two weeks after a gunman opened fire at a theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and wounding 58. In January 2011, then-congresswomen Gabrielle Giffords was the target of an assassination attempt in which six people were killed and 13 were wounded in Tucson, Arizona. "The gunman is worse than the one at the theater a couple of weeks ago because he targeted an entire community," said Jagatjit Sidhu, who was among dozens of temple members and onlookers gathered near the sealed off temple. Some witnesses at the scene had said there was more than one gunman, but Edwards said reports of multiple gunmen were common in incidents that involved only one shooter. "We believe there was one but we can't be sure," he said. Officers finished sweeping the temple only after hours of searching, and Edwards said the investigation was just starting. President Barack Obama said he was "deeply saddened" and pledged his administration's commitment to fully investigate the shooting. Obama was briefed by counterterrorism adviser John Brennan and FBI director Bob Mueller and told the situation at the temple was "under control." "The president said that he wanted to make sure that as we denounce this senseless act of violence we also underscore how much our country has been enriched by our Sikh community," the White House said in a statement. SIKHS IN U.S. The Indian embassy in Washington said it was in touch with the National Security Council about the shooting and an Indian diplomat had been sent to the Sikh temple in Wisconsin. The Sikh faith is the fifth-largest in the world, with more than 30 million followers. It includes belief in one God and that the goal of life is to lead an exemplary existence. The temple in Oak Creek, south of Milwaukee, was founded in October 1997 and has a congregation of 350 to 400 people. There are an estimated 500,000 or more Sikhs in the United States. Since the attacks of September 11, 2001 by Islamist militants, Sikhs have sometimes been confused publicly with Muslims because of their turban headdress and beards. Members of the Milwaukee Sikh community complained to police and a state representative last year about an upturn in robberies and vandalism at Sikh-owned gas stations and stores. In September 2001, a Sikh gas station owner in Mesa, Arizona, was shot dead by a man who was said to be seeking revenge on Muslims for the hijacked plane attacks on the United States. Phoenix police said they were in contact with local Sikh leaders and had increased patrol presence around the three temples in the city until further notice. New York police said they were increasing security at Sikh temples as a precaution. There are no known threats against temples in the city, they said in a statement. Sapreet Kaur, executive director of the Sikh Coalition civil rights organization, said Sikhs had been the target of several hate-crime shootings in the United States in recent years. "The natural impulse of our community is to unfortunately assume the same in this case," he said in a statement. Nnnn USAIN BOLT COLLECTS GOLD IN 100M OLYMPIC FINAL thmandu, 6 Aug.: Lining up for the Olympic 100-meter final, Usain Bolt wrapped up his signature prerace preening by lifting a finger to his lips.AP reports from London.. Shhhhhhh. Time to silence the critics. He might not be better than ever. Clearly, he's back to being the best. Pulling away from the pack with every long stride, Bolt surged after his typical lumbering break from the blocks and overwhelmed a star-studded field to win in 9.63 seconds Sunday night, the second-fastest 100 in history and an Olympic record that let him join Carl Lewis as the only men with consecutive gold medals in the Summer Games' marquee track event. "Means a lot, because a lot of people were doubting me. A lot of people were saying I wasn't going to win, I didn't look good. There was a lot of talk," Bolt said. "It's an even greater feeling to come out here and defend my title and show the world I'm still No. 1." Only sixth-fastest of the eight runners to the halfway mark, Bolt was his brilliant self down the stretch, his latest scintillating performance on his sport's biggest stage. At Beijing four years ago, the 6-foot-5 Bolt seemingly reinvented sprinting and electrified track and field, winning gold medals in world-record times in the 100, 200 and 4x100 relay — something no man had ever done at an Olympics. And the significance of Sunday's sequel? "One step closer to becoming a legend," Bolt said. "So I'm happy with myself." Ever the entertainer, the Jamaican kept right on running past the finish for a victory lap that included high-fives with front-row fans, a pause to kneel down and kiss the track and even a somersault. Thousands in the capacity crowd of about 80,000 chanted the champion's name: "Usain! Usain! Usain!" Bolt's training partner and Jamaican teammate, world champion Yohan Blake, won the silver in 9.75, and 2004 Olympic champion Justin Gatlin of the U.S. took the bronze in 9.79. "It just feels good to be back," said Gatlin, who served a four-year ban after testing positive for excessive testosterone. "To be honest, I went out there to challenge a mountain. I went out there to challenge the odds. Not just myself and everything I've been through, but the legacy of Usain Bolt," Gatlin said. "I had to go out there and be fearless." Everyone in the final broke 10 seconds except former world-record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica, who pulled up with a groin injury. At the last Olympics, Bolt announced his arrival on the global stage by winning the 100 with a then-record 9.69 seconds, even though he slowed down to celebrate by pounding his chest over the last 20 meters. That mark only lasted until the 2009 world championships, when he lowered the mark to 9.58. But The World's Fastest Man had been something less than Boltesque since then, in part due to a string of minor injuries to his back and legs. In 2010, he lost to Tyson Gay, the American who's a past world champion and cried inconsolably after ending up fourth Sunday in a time (9.80) that would have been good enough to win every Olympic 100 gold medal other than the past two. A false start knocked Bolt out of the 100 at last year's world championships, creating an opening for Blake. Then came recent, much-discussed losses to Blake in the 100 and 200 at the Jamaican Olympic trials. Bolt, a fast runner who likes to drive fast, too, was involved in a wee-hours car crash in Kingston in June — not the only auto accident hAe's been in. His publicist played down the seriousness of the latest episode, but the hand-wringing in Jamaica intensified after the poor performances at the trials a few weeks later. "The trials woke me up. Yohan gave me a wakeup call," Bolt said. "He knocked on my door and said, 'Usain, wake up! This is an Olympic year.'" Message delivered. "I had to show the world I'm the greatest," he said. If that hasn't already been accomplished, Bolt sure is close. He will begin defending his title in the 200, which he considers his best event, in Tuesday's heats. He's also part of Jamaica's 4x100 relay team, of course, and wouldn't rule out taking part in the 4x400 this time, as well. Some saw no reason to wait to see what Bolt does the rest of the way at these Olympics. "There's no doubt he's the greatest sprinter of all time now," said seventh-place finisher Richard Thompson of Trinidad and Tobago, who was 0.35 seconds back on Sunday. Thompson was the silver medalist in Beijing, despite trailing Bolt by a hard-to-believe 0.20. The margin Sunday was 0.12, and Bolt pushed all the way, making up for his usual slow beginning. After he'd closed out his mugging for the cameras, even pantomiming spinning a record like a DJ, Bolt crouched into the blocks. Right before the starting gun, a plastic bottle was tossed from the stands and it landed on the track behind Blake's lane. But neither Bolt nor Blake noticed. "When they say, 'On your marks,' that's when the focus starts," Bolt said. He took a while, as usual, to get up to top speed, but once he found his extra gear, no one else stood a chance, even though the men surrounding Bolt were an accomplished bunch. Once he found himself even with the leaders with about 50 meters left, Bolt did what he does best. Cheeks puffing, arms pumping right along with each of those lengthy strides — Bolt is taller and leaner than the typical 100-meter champs of the past — he reeled in everyone else, even leaning at the finish for good measure. "I stopped worrying about the start," Bolt said. "The end is what's important." Oh, and how he enjoyed what came next. Bolt, who turns 26 this month, delivered the sort of scene he made so commonplace in Beijing: a look-at-me! series of photo ops, including dance moves fit for a nightclub and what he calls his "To the World" pose, when he leans back and points to the sky. He hugged Blake, the guy Bolt nicknamed "The Beast" because of his intensity in practices. Later, Blake tweeted: "Big up (at)UsainBolt! You deserved that one. Big up Jamaica!" Gatlin didn't begrudge Bolt's enthusiasm. "He's the Michael Phelps of our sport," Gatlin said, referring to the U.S. swimmer who has won a record 22 Olympic medals, 18 gold. "What can you say? He's a showman. Is it arrogance? Confidence? It's a good show." Bolt is not the most serious fellow, and he isn't too proud to admit he never has put much emphasis on fitness. In 2008, he explained that his success was fueled by chicken nuggets from a fast-food restaurant in the Olympic village. This time around, he noted that he noshed Sunday on a sandwich wrap from the same chain. "It was chicken with vegetables, so it was healthy," Bolt said with perfect deadpan delivery. "Don't judge me." The only judgments now are going to be about where Bolt stands in the pantheon of sprinters and Olympians. Even LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and other members of the U.S. men's basketball team wanted to get a glimpse of Bolt, arriving right as the 100 semifinals were getting started Sunday. James even pulled out a phone to record video of Bolt in action. "The whole world is going to watch this tonight," James said. "This is the biggest event of them all, right here." There were other events on Sunday's schedule, and Sanya Richards-Ross won the only U.S. gold at the track so far. She erased the bad memory of her bronze-medal finish in Beijing by accelerating down the stretch to win the 400 meters in 49.55 seconds. Other winners were Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya in the men's 3,000-meter steeplechase, Krisztian Pars of Hungary in the men's hammer throw, Olga Rypakova of Kazakhstan in the women's triple jump, and Tiki Gelana of Ethiopia in the women's marathon. Oscar Pistorius, the amputee "Blade Runner" from South Africa, finished last in his 400-meter semifinal but will get another chance in next week's 4x400-meter relay. Bolt's victory in the 100 four years ago began a stretch of dominance by Jamaica, an island nation of 3 million people — about 1 percent as many as the U.S. — that now owns seven of the last eight Olympic men's and women's sprinting golds, including relays. About 1½ hours before Bolt's latest victory, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce stepped to the top of the medal stand in the stadium and received the gold she collected for Jamaica in the women's 100 on Saturday night. Like Bolt, she's a repeat champion. Bolt gets the distinction as the only man to cross the finish line first in back-to-back dash finals. Lewis' victory in Seoul in 1988, following his first 100 title at Los Angeles in 1984, was awarded only after apparent champion Ben Johnson of Canada was stripped for failing a drug test. Johnson hailed from the same Trelawny parish in Jamaica that is home to Bolt. They already were set to party in that Caribbean country to mark 50 years since it became independent from Britain. On Aug. 5, 1962, the Union Jack was lowered for the final time at Kingston's National Stadium. Talk about perfect bookends: On Monday — which is Aug. 6, 2012, the 50th anniversary of the island's independence — the Jamaican flag will be raised in London's Olympic Stadium for Bolt's medal ceremony. "It's an honor. I said after the trials I wanted to give Jamaica a great birthday present," Bolt said, "and this is a good start." As these Olympics continue, though, remember this: Bolt specializes in fantastic finishes. nnnn