World’s powerful intelligence agencies

ASIS, Australia

The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) is Australia’s intelligence watchdog which keeps a close watch on developments across the world, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Although Australia is relatively isolated from global terror, still ASIS works 24X7 to protect the country’s political and economic interests. Interestingly, the existence of ASIS, founded in 1952, was a secret even from its own government for over twenty years.

BND, Germany

The Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Federal Intelligence Service in English, is Germany’s premiere intelligence agency that acts as an early warning system to alert the German government about threats to its interests. The main weapon in its armoury is electronic surveillance of international communications. BND agents are spread across the world, with one estimate putting the number at 4000.

GRU, Russia

One of the most important players in the world intelligence community, the GRU or Glavnoye Razvedyvatel`noye Upravleniye or Main Intelligence Administration is Russia’s largest secret service. Though not as famous as the erstwhile KGB, the GRU is the backbone of Russian defence intelligence service and concentrates on military espionage, especially away from Russian shores.

DGSE, France

The General Directorate for External Security (DGSE) of France was founded in 1982 to gather intelligence from foreign sources to assist in military and strategic decisions. Not as famous as CIA or Mossad, DGSE claims to have prevented more than 15 terrorist attacks in France since 9/11, reports said. The agency has a network of around 5000 agents spread across France and the world. Also, DGSE is said to have a huge force of voluntary correspondents (spies), who are not on the rolls but play a vital role in gathering intelligence.

MSS, China

The Ministry of State Security (MSS) is one of the most powerful and most active Chinese intelligence agencies. Its main objective is to keep track and neutralise “enemies” of the Communist Party of China. Patterned after the former Soviet Union’s KGB political police, the MSS aims “to control the Chinese people to maintain the rule of the Communist Party”. The modus operandi of MSS is unique too - its most successful spies are agents stationed throughout the world posing as ordinary citizens.

Mossad, Israel

One of the most powerful secret service agencies in the world, the Mossad, meaning Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations, is the national intelligence agency of Israel. Mossad, like the CIA, has active agents spread across the world and are involved in intelligence gathering, covert operations and ‘protecting Jews and Jewish interests’. Famous operations: In 1960, Mossad discovered that Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann was in Argentina. He was smuggled into Israel, tried and executed. Mossad had played a major role in Operation Entebbe, the counter-terrorist hostage-rescue mission carried out by commandos of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) at Entebbe Airport in Uganda in 1976 to rescue kidnapped Israelis.

RAW, India

Founded in 1968, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), initially, focused its activities in India’s immediate neighbourhood but with the changing profile of New Delhi’s geo-political interests, it has spread its wings to other regions across the world. The agency is headquartered in New Delhi. Its chief directly reports to the Prime Minister and its operations do not come under the purview of Parliament. Often termed as an effective instrument of India’s national power, the RAW is believed to employ more than eight thousand field agents spread across the world.

MI6, United Kingdom

The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), popularly referred to as the Directorate of Military Intelligence Section 6 (MI6), is known as the "the secret front line" of Britain`s national security. A century old organisation, the MI6’s presence was not officially acknowledged till 1994. The agency is tasked with gathering foreign intelligence from across the globe that could impact political and economic interests in the UK.

ISI, Pakistan

Established in 1948, Pakistan’s Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is one of the most notorious secret service agencies in the world. Officially, the ISI is responsible for providing security intelligence assessment to the government of Pakistan; however, it is known to be involved in fomenting trouble in India. Currently headed by Zaheer ul-Islam, the ISI is known to command immense power in the Pakistani establishment.

CIA, USA

If not the best, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States of America is indeed the largest secret service with the maximum reach. The CIA is known to play a pivotal role in helping the US maintain its status as the world’s sole super power. More importantly, CIA has been playing a central role in exchange of intelligence between countries to combat global terrorism.

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Unknown facts about VALENTINE's DAY

Valentines day, also known as single awareness day and male oppression day (however for me its the Forever Alone day), is here! Great times for those couples madly in love yet not so great for those alone.

There are many myths and legends about this holiday of love, some facts are even stranger than legends. Here are some facts for you to ponder upon, along with some commentary, while you celebrate this holiday.

• Around 13% of women send themselves flowers on valentines day. – This is really odd. Flowers on this holiday are supposed to make you feel better because it shows that someone cares about you. Sending yourself flowers just says that you care about yourself and that you are getting really desperate for someone to care about you.

• In medieval times, girls ate bizarre foods to make themselves dream about their future husband. – This makes absolutely no sense at all. You can’t control what you dream about by eating bizarre foods. That only makes your stomach hurt while serving no other purpose whatsoever.

• Teachers and Children are the top two recipients of valentines day cards – Thus proving that the primary money-maker of valentines day sales is not stuff bought for girlfriends, the main money-maker is all the parents giving stuff to their kids to give to the teacher so they are not the only ones in class not to give the teacher anything. Besides that, its all the forced card and candy trades in elementary school on this day that make up the bulk of the sales.

• In Japan, men receive more valentines chocolate than women. – Japan is not the only country that does this. In Korea, girls buy gifts for guys and then one month later, guys return the favor by buying gifts for girls.

• Valentines day was first celebrated by the Romans. The Roman goddess of love Venus was made virgin every time she took a dip in the sea no matter who she had slept with beforehand. – Warning, taking a dip in the sea does not work wonders for mortal women as it did for Venus.

• The reason that February was picked for this holiday is because in the middle ages, this was the month that people thought birds picked their mates. – It must have been decided in a Southern European country, there really are not many birds around in Northern Europe in February.

• If you see a squirrel on Valentines day, the myth is that you will marry a cheapskate so make sure you shoot all the squirrels around your house the day before or spend valentine in a hotel somewhere in the desert.

• If you find a glove on the road on valentines day, your future spouse should have the other glove so you should put a glove on the road outside the driveway of that hot supermodel and keep the other glove for yourself.

• It was King Henry VIII of England who declared this day a national holiday. Ironically he also beheaded a few of his wives.

• Over 1000 love letters are sent to the fictional “Juliet” in “Romeo and Juliet” on valentines day

THE 10 LARGEST SATELLITE DISHES ON EARTH

10. The Dish, USA

Diameter: 150 feet (46 meters)

Ensconced in the foothills of Stanford, CA, the radio telescope known simply as The Dish is a landmark visited by around 1,500 people every day. Yet, while undoubtedly a popular site for hikers and joggers, The Dish is also actually still operational today, used by both academics and other researchers. Built by the Stanford Research Institute in 1966, this 150-foot-diameter (46m) behemoth was initially intended for study into the chemical make-up of our atmosphere but, with its powerful radar antenna, was later used for communication with satellites and spacecraft — notably the Voyager probes sent forth to explore the outer solar system.

9. Algonquin Radio Observatory, Canada

Diameter: 150 feet (46 meters)

The Algonquin Radio Observatory is to be found in the verdant Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada. The centerpiece of the observatory is its 150-foot (46m) parabolic dish (“parabolic” refers to the curved surface that directs the radio waves), which became famous in the 1960s for its participation in the earliest successful tests of a technique known as “very long baseline interferometry” (VLBI). VLBI allows for the simultaneous observations of an object by many telescopes to be combined — leading to far more powerful results. Nowadays, the Algonquin site is active as a control point for GPS and is operated by Thoth Technology. With a dish this big, we bet they could also pick up some interesting TV shows!

8. Large Millimeter Telescope, Mexico
Diameter: 164 feet (50 meters)

Mexico’s Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT) is a relatively recent addition to the list of largest single-dish radio telescopes. Inaugurated in 2006, this 164-foot (50m) instrument constitutes the biggest and most responsive single-aperture telescope for observing radio waves in its own frequency range (approximately 0.85 to 4 mm, in case you were wondering!). Providing astronomers with valuable information regarding star formation, the LMT is located in the state of Puebla and sits atop the Sierra Negra — the fifth highest mountain in Mexico. A joint Mexican and American project, it cost $116 million and took ten years to be built.

7. Parkes Observatory, Australia

Diameter: 210 feet (64 meters)

Completed in 1961, Australia’s Parkes Observatory was one of several radio receivers used to pick up live TV transmissions of the lunar landing in 1969. As well as being part of this auspicious moment in history, the Observatory continued to provide NASA with valuable information during their other moon missions, relaying signals and providing coverage when our only natural satellite was on the Australian side of the Earth. More recently, between 1997 and 2002, it undertook the largest blind survey in search of neutral atomic hydrogen galaxies. Also on the CV: more than 50 percent of presently known pulsars — rotating neutron stars — were discovered at Parkes. Not a bad record for this beautiful-looking — and movable — 210-foot (64m) radio dish telescope.

6. Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex, USA

Diameter: 230 feet (70 meters)

Commonly known as the Goldstone Observatory, this next astronomical site is situated in the expanse of California’s Mojave Desert. One of three similarly constructed complexes , the other two are located in Madrid, Spain and Canberra, Australia — Goldstone is home to a dish, known as the Mars antenna, which is 230 feet (70m) in diameter. This highly sensitive radio telescope — which was actually modeled on, and later upgraded to be bigger than, that of Australia’s Parkes Observatory — provides scientists with information that helps in the mapping of quasars, comets, planets, asteroids and more. The Goldstone complex has also proven its worth in the search for high-energy neutrino transmissions on the moon. Reckon it can pick up 3rd Rock From the Sun, as well?

5. Yevpatoria RT-70 Radio Telescope, Ukraine
Diameter: 230 feet (70 meters)

The group of three RT-70 radio telescopes that were developed by the Soviet Union is made up of the Yevpatoria planetary radar in the Ukraine together with those of Suffa — on the Suffa plateau in Uzbekistan — and Galenki (Ussuriysk) in Russia. They all share similar specifications, notably their 230-foot (70m) diameter dishes. The Yevpatoria telescope, in particular, has been used to observe asteroids and space debris. It is also known for the A Message From Earth (AMFE) project, in which, on 9 October 2008, a high-powered digital radio signal was beamed out towards Gliese 581c — a so-called “Super-Earth” (a planet whose mass is much higher than Earth’s but less than that of our solar system’s gas giants). If Gliese 581c supports life, perhaps the inhabitants will send us back some of their own TV! However, we’ll have to wait until the message reaches the planet in 2029.

4.Lovell Telescope 

Diameter: 250 feet (76m) 

The United Kingdom’s Lovell Telescope — a radio telescope whose dish measures an impressive 250 feet (76m) in diameter — is located at Jodrell Bank Observatory in the north-west of England. Built in 1955, it was originally known simply as the “250ft telescope,” but was renamed after one of its creators, Bernard Lovell, in 1987. Among the telescope’s most notable achievements was the confirmation of the existence of the pulsar — then only recently discovered — in 1968 (with investigation into pulsars still very much ongoing at the observatory). The Lovell Telescope was also instrumental in the discovery of quasars — extremely luminous celestial bodies thought to be among the most distant object in the universe.

3. Effelsberg 100-m Radio Telescope, Germany

Diameter: 250 feet (76 meters)

The Effelsberg Radio Telescope is situated just outside of Effelsburg, a village in the southeastern potion of Bad Münstereifel, a town in western Germany. Built between 1968 and 1971, the telescope is operated by the Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy in Bonn. Equipped to observe pulsars, star formations and the nuclei of distant galaxies, Effelsberg is one of the most important instruments in the world’s network of super-powerful telescopes. Since it began its work in the early 1970s, ongoing improvements have been made — including low-noise electronics and a new surface for the dish — which have helped keep it among the elite of astronomical research institutions.

2. Green Bank Telescope, USA
Diameter: 328 feet (100 meters)

The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope is located in the state of West Virginia, nestled in the middle of the United States National Radio Quiet Zone — an area of limited or banned radio transmissions, which greatly helps the telescope in operating to its highest potential. The telescope, which was completed in 2002, took eleven years to construct. Equipped with its massive 328-foot (100 m) dish, this fully steerable telescope has made several notable discoveries, including the discovery of the hydrogen gas-based Ophiuchus “superbubble,” which is located 23,000 light years distant.1. 

1. Arecibo Observatory, Puerto Rico
Diameter: 1,001 feet (305 meters)

The largest curved focusing dish on Earth by far is to be found in the Arecibo Observatory near the city of the same name in Puerto Rico. Operated by SRI International — a research institute born out of Stanford University — and with supervision from the National Science Foundation, the Observatory engages in radio astronomy, radar observations of the solar system and the study of the atmospheres of other planets. The enormous dish was built in 1963 inside the depression caused by a naturally occurring sinkhole. This somehow seems apt, as data about naturally occurring phenomena — albeit millions of miles away — interacts with man-made technology in the most wondrous of ways at Arecibo.