London, Sept 14 (ANI): Amid growing dissatisfaction among Labour rebels against Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Business secretary John Hutton has reportedly refused to condemn the rebels, saying that his colleagues were "right to say that the government needed to do better".

The business secretary made his comments after Labour rebels warned that dozens more were expected to join a campaign to destabilise Gordon Brown ahead of next week's Labour conference.

The Lahour rebels are calling for a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minsiter.

Hutton said his job was to support the government. "I am absolutely not going to condemn any of my colleagues who want that debate but I think we have to support the government and we have to support the work we are doing because it is absolutely the right direction for the country," The Guardian quoted him as saying.

Apparently siding with the rebels' demand of contesting a no-confidence motion against the government, he said that "For goodness sake, we are 20 points behind in the opinion polls. But we have to do better and make our arguments clear and that is what we are trying to do."

The business secretary agreed with Alistair Darling, the chancellor, that the economy was facing its toughest conditions in 60 years, but disagreed with claims that Britain was in recession. "I don't think there is any evidence of that," he said.

"We have to support the prime minister. We have to support the work of government because the government is trying to steer the right course for the future. If you look at our political opponents, we have to aim our fire on the alternatives, not ourselves. Nick Clegg is a pale imitation of David Cameron and at the very best David Cameron is a very pale imitation of Tony Blair," he added.

Junior whip Siobhain McDonagh was the first to break ranks on Friday and was promptly sacked for claiming that the only way to restore order and confidence in the party was to call a leadership contest.

A number of fellow MPs have since emerged as being in favour of a leadership contest, with more expected to join the campaign against Brown over the coming days. Joan Ryan was dismissed from her post as Labour vice-chair and as Brown's special envoy to Cyprus after she called for a leadership contest yesterday. (ANI)

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Chandipur (Orissa), Sept 13 (ANI): 'Astra', the indigenously air-to-air anti-aircraft missile was successfully test fired for the second consecutive day on Sunday from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur in Orissa.

The Beyond Visual Range (BVR) missile, capable of ducking radar eyes and attacking enemy targets up to 110 km, was test fired from launch pad number two of the ITR complex at about 11.47 a.m., according to reports.

Today's test was conducted after analyses of the data generated from Saturday's flight trial in order to further validate all major parameters.

Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO) scientists said, "'Astra' is a futuristic missile and will intercept the target at super-sonic speeds of mach 1.2 to 1.4."

The sleek single stage, solid fuelled 'Astra' is more advanced in its category than the contemporary BVR missiles and is capable of engaging and destroying highly manoeuvrable supersonic aerial targets.

Some more trials would be conducted through tests on Astra's navigation, control, airframe, propulsion and other sub-systems before the highly sophisticated missile system is made fully operational.

Scientists are working to ensure that 'Astra' performed effectively at different altitudes - one cruising at an altitude of 15 km with 90 to 110 km range, another at an altitude up to 30,000 ft, having a range of 44 km and the third at sea level altitude with a range of 30 km, as reported.

The prototype of the missile was first tested in May 2003 from the integrated test range at Chandipur.

In March 2007, 'Astra' had undergone two experimental flight tests from the ITR launch complex at Chandipur to study the ballistic performance and control of the missile at a low altitude and shorter range.

Initially planned to arm Jaguar, Mig-29 and the indigenous light combat air-craft 'Tejas', DRDO officials are now concentrating on integrating the missile with Indian Air Force's front line fighter air-craft like Sukhoi-30 MKIs and Mirage-2000.

The 'Astra' missile project is being guided and led by Hyderabad-based Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL) under the DRDO. (ANI)

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London, Sept 14 (ANI): Claims that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes, helped murder a journalist have finally been laid to rest - by a church court.

The Exeter Diocese Consistory Court has blocked a bid to exhume the remains of Devon journalist and writer Bertram Fletcher-Robinson who died on January 21, 1907, reports the Scotsman.

At the time of his death, it was recorded that Fletcher-Robinson died at the age of 36 from typhoid fever and peritonitis following a visit to Paris.

However, claims had been made that Fletcher-Robinson had been murdered by an overdose of laudanum administered by his wife Gladys, who was engaged in an affair with Conan Doyle and to hide the fact that the author stole the plot of the Hound of the Baskervilles from the journalist.

The accusations were the results of research carried out by former driving instructor Rodger Garrick-Steele who wanted to exhume the corpse from its place of rest at Ipplepen near Newton Abbot and test it for traces of poison.

Now, Sir Andrew McFarlane, the chancellor of the ecclesiastical court, has ridiculed Garrick- Steele's research.

McFarlane blocked Garrick- Steele's bid and ruled that the body must not be disturbed. (ANI)

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Khar, Sept 14 (ANI): In a fresh crackdown on radical Islamist militants in Pakistan, the country's Army today claimed to have gunned down more than 70 terrorists in the Bajaur Agency. Eight Pakistani soldiers were also killed in the cross firing, sources said.

Around 25 militants were injured in the crackdown, they added.

According to the Daily Times, six terrorists were killed and five injured when a helicopter gunship attacked the vehicle carrying them to Mohmand Agency. However, a military spokesman, Major Murad Khan, told a foreign news agency, "we killed 72 militants, while eight of our soldiers have died in Bajaur since Wednesday."

The sources said that security forces attacked the Loyesam, Tangkhata, Rashakai, Khazana, Banda, Glukas, Baichina and Kerala areas of Khar tehsil with heavy artillery, tanks, gunship helicopters and fighter jets, destroying "several" terrorists' hideouts.

Meanwhile, media reports suggested that there were reports that security forces were preparing for an advance towards terrorist strongholds in Nawagai and Chamrkand tehsils after having captured "the most important" terrorist stronghold of Loyesam.

The terrorists, according to the sources, are resisting the forces' advance towards the central areas of Loyesam.

On the other hand, people affected by the insurgency in tribal areas continued to flee. According to official statistics, around 120,000 people have already left the Bajaur agency due to the ongoing military operation, added the paper. (ANI)

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