Monthly Archives: September 2015

Με στόχο να… κλέψει όσους περισσότερους βαθμούς μπορεί αγωνίζεται σήμερα, Τρίτη, ο Ολυμπιακός κόντρα στην Αρσεναλ στο Λονδίνο (21:45, ΟΤΕ Sport 2). Οι «ερυθρόλευκοι» με πρωταρχικό σκοπό να μην χάσουν θα προσπαθήσουν να μην ολοκληρώσουν την 2η αγωνιστική στον 6ο όμιλο του Champions League με μηδέν στο ενεργητικό τους.

Ο Μάρκο Σίλβα δεν έχει αποκαλύψει τα πλάνα του, ωστόσο πρέπει να θεωρείται εξαιρετικά αμφίβολη η συμμετοχή του Τσόρι Nτομίνγκες στο αρχικό σχήμα, καθώς ταξίδεψε μεν στην Αγγλία αλλά είναι ανέτοιμος.

Έτσι οι ενδείξεις κάνουν λόγο για τον Ρομπέρτο στο τέρμα, Σιόβα και Μποτία στόπερ, Ελαμπντελαουί και Μαζουακού στα άκρα της άμυνας, Καμπιάσο και Κασάμι αμυντικά χαφ, Πάρντο δεξιά και Σεμπά αριστερά, με τον Φορτούνη «δεκάρι» και Ιντέγε στην κορυφή της επίθεσης.

Στο πλευρό του Ολυμπιακού θα είναι πάνω από 3.000 φιλάθλους του, ενώ στο Λονδίνο βρίσκεται εδώ και μέρες για επαγγελματικούς λόγους και ο Βαγγέλης Μαρινάκης.

Η ομάδα του Βενγκέρ έχοντας χάσει στην πρεμιέρα των ομίλων του Champions League δεν θέλει να μπει σε περιπέτειες.

Ο Γάλλος δεν υπολογίζει στον τιμωρημένο Ζιρού και στους τραυματίες Φλαμινί, Αρτέτα, Ροσίτσκι και Γουίλσιρ, ενώ αμφίβολος είναι ο Κοκλέν.

Η Άρσεναλ προέρχεται από δύο σημαντικές εκτός έδρας νίκες, το 2-1 επί της Τότεναμ στο «Γουάιτ Χαρτ Λέιν» για το Λιγκ Καπ και το 5-2 επί της αήττητης Λέστερ του Κλαούντιο Ρανιέρι για το πρωτάθλημα.

Στο άλλο ματς του ομίλου η Μπάγερν υποδέχεται τη Ντιναμό Ζάγκρεμπ στο Μόναχο.

Πηγή:in.gr

Ανήκουν κυρίως σε Ρώσους ολιγάρχες ή Σαουδάραβες «πετρελαιάδες» ή έστω σε κάποια από τα πρώτα 100 ονόματα που κοσμούν ετησίως την λίστα του περιοδικού Forbes.

Αυτά είναι λοιπόν τα δέκα πιο πολυτελή κι ακριβά γιοτ στον κόσμο -και οι πάμπλουτοι ιδιοκτήτες τους:

10. The Rising Sun – 177 εκατομμύρια ευρώ

Το ιδιωτικό γιότ του Ντέιβιντ Γκέφεν (της δισκογραφικής Geffen Records και της κινηματογραφικής SKG) διαθέτει 82 δωμάτια σε πέντε ορόφους, ενώ ανάμεσα στα «καλούδια» που προσφέρει είναι ένα γήπεδο μπάσκετ κανονικών διαστάσεων, ένα κελάρι με πάνω από 1.000 ετικέτες κρασιών καθώς και ένα προσωπικό σινεμά.
9. Seven Seas – 180 εκατομμύρια ευρώ

Το γιοτ του πολύ καλού φίλου του Γκεφεν, του σκηνοθέτη Στίβεν Σπίλμπεργκ (και συνεργάτη του στην SKG) διαθέτει επτά μεγάλες σουίτες, πισίνα υπερχείλισης, γυμναστήριο και ελικοδρόμιο. Πάνω εδώ συνηθίζει να κάνει ο Σπίλμπεργκ τα μεγάλα ιδιωτικά πάρτι του, μετά από την επιτυχία κάποιας ταινίας του.
8. Lady Moura – 186 εκατομμύρια ευρώ

Το γιοτ του Σαουδάραβα επιχειρηματία (και συμβούλου του βασιλικού οίκου των Σαούντ) Νασαρ αλ Ρασίντ μπορεί να φιλοξενήσει 30 καλεσμένους και προσωπικό 60 ατόμων. Η πολυτέλεια ξεχειλίζει από παντού, με αποκορύφωμα όλες τις επιγραφές πάνω στο σκάφος που είναι γραμμένες με χρυσό 24 καρατίων.
7. Al Mirqab – 220 εκατομμύρια ευρώ

Τα δέκα δωμάτια-σουίτες του μπορούν να φιλοξενήσουν όλους τους επισκέπτες του ιδιοκτήτη του, του πρωθυπουργού του Κατάρ, Χαμάντ μπιν Γιασίμ μπιν Τζαμπάρ αλ Θάνι. Διαθέτει κι αυτό πισίνα υπερχείλισης, γυμναστήριο και ελικοδρόμιο.

6. Dilbar – 233 εκατομμύρια ευρώ

Το γιοτ του ουζμπέκου ολιγάρχη κι επιχειρηματία των τηλεπικοινωνιών Αλίσερ Ουσμάνοφ είναι αρκετά τεράστιο, ώστε απαιτούνται 47 άτομα προσωπικό προκειμένου να «τρέξουν» όλες οι δουλειές. Για του λόγου το αληθές, το γιοτ έχει μήκος 120 και ύψος 17 μέτρα, νούμερα που το καθιστούν ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα στον κόσμο.

5. Al Said – 265 εκατομμύρια ευρώ

Ο Σουλτάνος του Ομάν, Καμπούς μπιν Σαϊντ αλ Σαϊντ έδωσε στο γιοτ του ένα όνομα… αυτοαναφορικό: Αλ Σαϊντ, ίσως για να μην ξεχάσει ποτέ που το έχει «παρκάρει». Ένα από τα μεγαλύτερα γιοτ στο κόσμο, απαιτεί πλήρωμα 154 (!) ανθρώπων προκειμένου να εξυπηρετήσει τους 70 καλεσμένους του που μπορεί να φιλοξενήσει ανά πάσα στιγμή. Μιλάμε για ένα γιοτ τόσο μεγάλο, ώστε διαθέτει μέχρι και αίθουσα συναυλιών που χωράει μια κανονική κλασική ορχήστρα 100 ατόμων.
4. Superyacht A – 286 εκατομμύρια ευρώ

Ιδιοκτησίας του 43χρονου Ρώσου επιχειρηματία Αντρέι Μελνιτσένκο, το συγκεκριμένο γιοτ διαθέτει τρεις μεγάλες πισίνες, καθώς και άλλα δυο μικρότερα σκάφη ενσωματωμένα, στην περίπτωση που χρειαστεί μια μικρή βόλτα στα γύρω νησιά. Ωστόσο, δεν είναι και το πλέον… φιλόξενο του καταλόγου, καθώς μπορεί να φιλοξενήσει μόλις έξι άτομα –εκτός αν ο Μελνιτσένκο δεν είναι πολύ κοινωνικός τύπος.

3. Dubai – 310 εκατομμύρια ευρώ

Πήρε το όνομα του από την χώρα καταγωγής του ιδιοκτήτη του. Ναι, ανήκει στον Εμίρη του Ντουμπάι Μοχάμεντ μπιν Ρασιντ αλ Μακτούμ. Ανάμεσα στα χαρακτηριστικά που ξεχωρίζουν είναι η τεράστια κεντρική σκάλα (σαν αυτή του Τιτανικού) που είναι εξολοκλήρου φτιαγμένη από γυαλί.
2. Eclipse – 450 εκατομμύρια ευρώ
Ίσως το πιο γνωστό γιοτ της λίστας, καθώς κατά καιρούς το έχουμε δει να πλέει και σε ελληνικά ύδατα. Ανήκει σε -ποιον άλλον;- τον ιδιοκτήτη της Τσέλσι, Ρομάν Αμπράμοβιτς και φημολογείται πως ο Ρώσος ολιγάρχης του έχει «ρίξει» τόσα πολλά χρήματα για να του κάνει τις βελτιώσεις που επιθυμεί, ώστε πλέον η αξία του υπερβαίνει το ένα δισεκατομμύριο ευρώ –και λίγα λέμε, αν αναλογιστούμε πως διαθέτει δυο ελικοδρόμια, ένα ιδιωτικό υποβρύχιο (!) και ένα υπερσύγχρονο αμυντικό σύστημα που μπορεί να αποκρούσει πιθανή επίθεση από ξηράς, αέρος και θάλασσας.
1. Streets of Monaco – 885 εκατομμύρια ευρώ

Το πιο ακριβό γιοτ στον κόσμο είναι ακόμη ημιτελές (και τόσο «τσουχτερό»), ώστε ακόμη δεν έχει βρεθεί ένας άνθρωπος να το αγοράσει. Διαθέτει κι αυτό ανέσεις όπως πισίνα υπερχείλισης, γυμναστήριο και ελικοδρόμιο, καθώς και μερικές από τις πιο πολυτελείς σουίτες που έχουν κατασκευαστεί μέσα σε ένα καράβι. Εμείς βάζουμε στοίχημα πως σύντομα θα καταλήξει κάπου προς Σαουδική Αραβία ή Ντουμπάι μεριά…

Πηγή:in.gr

Nigel Farage, right, has clashed with EU chief Dimitris Avramopoulos

Eurocrat Dimitris Avramopoulos urged European leaders to “stop thinking about the political cost” when tackling the migration crisis on the EU’s borders.

And he claimed that the European Commission was best placed to find a solution to the crisis because Brussels bureaucrats did not have to worry about seeking re-election.

His outburst, in an interview with the website Politico, was condemned as “breathtaking arrogance” yesterday.

“The Commission does not take the blame because it does not care about the political cost,” said the EU migration commissioner.

“The Commission is here for five years to do its job and we did it with vision, responsibility and commitment. Because what is driving us is not to be reelected. That is why for us the political cost means nothing.”

Greek eurocrat Dimitris Avramopoulos’ comments have been labelled as ‘breathtakingly arrogant’

He called on European government to be as bold as the EU.

“This is the message I would send all around Europe: stop thinking about the so-called political cost,” said Mr Avramopoulos, a former mayor of Athens and Greek defence minister.

His remarks follow an angry row in the EU over plans by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker to resettle refugees from Syria and other countries arriving in Greece, Hungary and Italy in countries across the EU.

Britain has opted out of the plan but could still be forced to pay millions of pounds into an EU funds for addressing the crisis.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage said: “This unspeakable arrogance is the result of a corrupt political system where unelected EU bureaucrats have power without responsibility or accountability to a national electorate.

“How can people in power be removed by the people’ is one of Tony Benn’s classical questions about the EU.

“The EU is unreformable by design; the only way to escape its grasp is to leave. ”

Arron Banks, of the anti-Brussels campaign group Leave.EU said: “These were the comments made by the EU migration chief Mr Avramopoulos who is the European Commissioner in charge of the contentious migration issue.

“He is a former Mayor of Athens and Greek Defence Minister whose comments today just show the breath-taking arrogance of the EU.

“Every person should see how the EU machine thinks and operates and this article just proves our point over and over again, we have got to take control of this, Cameron cannot ignore this arrogance.

“We urge everyone who cares about leaving the EU to read this and let as many people know about it.”

source:express.co.uk

The Australian share market has plunged 3.8 per cent, pulled down mainly by a big sell-off of resources stocks, especially global miner BHP Billiton.

It was the market’s hardest fall in a month. Both market indices dropped below 5,000 points, an important psychological support level.

The sell-off stripped almost $60 billion in value from the market.OptionsXpress market analyst Ben Le Brun said the local bourse was an absolute bloodbath on Tuesday, with selling across all sectors.

“Resources have led the way down on renewed concerns about China,” Mr Le Brun said.”We had Glencore Xstrata down by almost a third last night (in London).

That just added to the very negative sentiment out there in the world of commodities.”US and European markets retreated overnight on deepened worries about China’s economy, after poor Chinese industrial profits data hit prices of key commodities such as oil and copper.

On the London exchange, shares in Swiss-based mining giant Glencore Xstrata fell more than 30 per cent.On Asian markets on Tuesday, resources firms were at the forefront of a general sell-off as investors also fretted over the impact of China’s slowing growth.

On the local bourse, in the resources sector, BHP Billiton retreated $1.54, or 6.65 per cent, to $21.61, Rio Tinto descended $2.23, or 4.57 per cent, to $46.52, and Fortescue Metals sagged 11.5 cents, or 6.44 per cent, to $1.67.Oil and gas producer Woodside Petroleum surrendered $1.74 to $28.17, and Santos was off 43 cents at $4.28.Among the major banks, Commonwealth Bank lost $2.55 to $70.15, Westpac dumped $1.14 at $29.10, National Australia Bank fell $1.10 to $29.20, and ANZ dropped $1.02 to $26.38.Outdoor adventure gear retailer Kathmandu rose three cents to $1.30 despite its full year profit plummeting 51.7 per cent.

KEY FACTS- At 1620 AEST on Tuesday, the benchmark SP/ASX200 index was down 195.1 points, or 3.8 per cent, at 4,918.4 points.- The broader All Ordinaries index was down 187 points, or 3.63 per cent, at 4,958.1 points.- The December share price index futures contract was down 224 points to 4,882 points, with 44,023 contracts traded.-National turnover was 2.2 billion securities worth $6.1 billion.

WORST QUARTER IN FOUR YEARS

The Australian share market has taken its worst beating in four years over the September quarter, mainly because of weakness in economic powerhouse China.The market has fallen by just over nine per cent in the past three months, wiping about $160 billion from its value.

That’s more than what the Commonwealth Bank and BHP Billiton are worth each.With just one day left in the quarter, it is likely to be the worst period for investors since the third quarter of 2011, when the market fell 13 per cent amid an economic crisis in Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece and Spain.

There was also talk at the time of China’s economy heading for a hard landing.With Australia’s resources sector heavily dependent on demand from China, the share market got walloped.Now it’s being punched hard again.”I’m probably not as nervous as I was back then, but there is no doubt that what’s going on right now is savage,” IG market strategist Evan Lucas said.”What’s going on right now is that there is a test of the market’s belief of the commodity story and China going forward.”Iron ore prices have been flat over the quarter, oil prices are down and the price of copper has had a shocker of a fall, Mr Lucas said.Copper is viewed as a baseline for the health of the Chinese economy because it is used heavily in industrial building, housing construction and technology.

Over the September quarter, and especially the past two months, China’s manufacturing sector has come under severe pressure.AMP Capital’s head of portfolio management Debbie Alliston said China is the key factor in plunging share prices.”Markets are reacting to fears that this going to slow global growth significantly, particularly for those countries that are reliant on Chinese demand,” she said.

But Ms Alliston said members of superannuation funds with investments in a range of assets should not panic about the market’s downturn, and sit tight instead.”This is definitely not another GFC,” she said.Weakness in the Australian banking sector, amid moves by regulators to slow lending to property investors, has added to the weight on the share market, Mr Lucas said.

Efforts to put the brakes on soaring Sydney and Melbourne home prices, and a flattening of property markets in other cities, have dampened investor sentiment towards the banks.On top of that are worries about the size of corporate loans tied up in the mining and energy industries.

The market’s heavy fall has Australian shares looking cheap, Mr Lucas said, but questions remain over the health of the Chinese economy.Investors on Wall Street also appear to be in a mood to sell, meaning more downside than upside for the local market in the near term.

Uncertainty about the timing of a US Federal Reserve interest rate hike is also contributing to negative sentiment, Ms Alliston said.But the Australian market has had a pretty strong run upwards in recent years and was experiencing a healthy correction, she said.Stock valuations are probably near the point of luring buyers back into the market, especially with interest rates set to remain low.

However, the market could weaken if company earnings in the United States – the world’s biggest economy – decline, and signs of deflation appear around the globe.China remains a watching brief, with authorities there having enough room to trigger further stimulus measures.

source:www.skynews.com.au

The Main Quadrangle buildings in panorama at University of Sydney.

Entrepreneur doctor wants Aussie students to become acquainted
with ‘the ancient world’.

The University of Sydney has received a $15 million donation from Chinese Australian entrepreneur Dr Chau Chak Wing to establish a new museum on campus covering 6,000 square metres.

Dr Wing said this “heartfelt contribution” aims to do justice to some of the university’s earliest collections of cultural, archaeological and scientific artefacts.

The university owns more than 700,000 objects, however, most treasures of the Macleay, Nicholson and University Art Gallery collections are not currently displayed because of limited space.

“Many [of the objects] have been in storage for most of their lives, as we’ve really lacked the infrastructure to show them in the best light,” said David Ellis, director of museums at the University of Sydney.

“So, some of our earliest collections date back to the very beginnings of the university in the 1850s.

“In fact, some were in private collections well before that time, so, for many, it will be the first time they’ll be displayed to the public.”

The new museum will include antiquities from Greece, Cyprus, Italy and Asia, along with a more extensive Egyptian collection of insects and jewellery, Japanese woodcuts and a broad range of Australian art.

“Museums are an important part of city cultural life,” said Dr Chau in a statement, adding that the donation was directed at developing the Australia-China friendship.

“It is a common aspiration of people all over the world to promote cultural heritage, and it’s our responsibility to ensure it is passed on to future generations.”

The donation will also enable the university to redevelop and connect the Macleay and adjacent Edgeworth David buildings by 2018, when the museum is expected to open with free admission.

One of the new features Dr Wing aims to introduce to both students and the general public is specially-equipped study rooms “where students can actually use, handle, [and] interrogate objects, the cultural heritage”, in a hands-on and controlled environment.

source:Neos Kosmos

A 17-year-old tiger rescued from a failing zoo in Greece and sent to a California wildlife sanctuary has died after a long decline in health, officials said on Sunday.

Phevos was euthanized last week after veterinarians said his failing health was making it difficult to manage his pain, administer medication, or keep him fed, according to a statement from the Lions Tigers & Bears sanctuary in Alpine, California, near San Diego.

Years of poor medical treatment, abuse and neglect had taken its toll on the tiger, and after showing signs of improvement earlier in the summer, his health began to decline again and had been slipping for at least two months, officials said.

“Before his state deteriorated further, the decision was made with a heavy heart and much contemplation, to humanely euthanize our dear friend, Phevos,” said the sanctuary’s lead veterinarian, Jane Meier.

Sanctuary officials described Phevos as “a tiger that truly defied all odds thrown his way.”

“He fought a long and hard battle in this lifetime, and had been through so much,” said Bobbi Brink, founder and director of the non-profit accredited sanctuary.

Phevos was born in captivity and spent the first years of his life with an Italian touring circus, the sanctuary said.

In 2002, Phevos, his mate, Athena, and five other tigers were seized by Greek authorities, officials said. Phevos and Athena were sent to the Trikala Zoo, near Athens, where they lived together until March 2014, when Athena died of medical neglect after a wound in her paw went untreated for more than a year.

Phevos arrived in the United States in December after a 20-hour trip that made international headlines and was financed by an activist from the United Kingdom who had been instrumental in his rescue from the circus a decade before.

The sanctuary described Phevos as a gentle giant and said he had made friends with another male tiger at the sanctuary.

“Phevos enjoyed sunning himself in the cool grass, lounging in the shallows of his pool, and taking naps in his beds of hay,” the sanctuary statement said.

A memorial service will be held at the sanctuary on Saturday, Oct. 3, the statement said.

source:ekathimerini.com

Pope Francis is a hard act to follow, but for Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, who has been in New York since Sunday, getting European “rock star” treament isn’t the goal. Tsipras is in New York seeking more generous friends than he has found in the euro zone to help relieve Greece’s massive debt burden.

Hat in hand and hitting the United Nations and Clinton Global Initiative, the Greek prime minister is hoping to form intergovernmental alliances that favor a “market friendly” restructuring of Greek debt held by the members of the euro zone, including the European austerity “hard line” members led by Germany.

In his speech at the UN Summit on Sunday, Tsipras said, “We can not speak effectively for aid to developing countries, or loans in developed countries, unless we address the debt issue as an international challenge at the heart of our global financial system. In all forums, including this one here, we should talk about how the restructuring or reconfiguration of the debt can be associated with the development.”

Notably, Tsipras cited the 1953 deal for Germany’s external debt as an example.

At the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York, Tsipras called upon the world community and Greek Americans to support the reconstruction efforts in Greece. “We will fulfill our promises, but it is also important for the other side to fulfill its promises to ease the public debt,” he said, adding that solving the debt crisis is a prerequisite for attracting investors in Greece. Answering questions posed by President Bill Clinton, Tsipras said growth with social cohesion and tackling the high unemployment rate are the only ways for Greece to overcome its financial crisis.

Greece aims to initiate debt-relief negotiations before Christmas, but the power dynamic in the euro zone won’t allow Tsipras to get the best deal he can to relieve the country’s debt. The International Monetary Fund, while calling for Greek debt relief, does not want to clash with Europe on how debt restructuring is implemented. As such, Greece is looking to the U.S. for the greatest possible support on debt restructuring.
Greek diplomatic documents published in the Greek newspaper Kathimerini reveal how Tsipras has received valuable support from the Obama administration in recent months. The documents also show how Washington advised the previous Greek government against butting heads with Germany and to instead show a willingness for reform in the time leading up to the July 13 agreement for the third Greek bailout.

A secret telegram sent to the Greek government on July 16 by Greece’s ambassador to the U.S., Christos Panagopoulos, reveals how Washington advised Athens to avoid verbal attacks against Berlin and to try to create a broad alliance with countries such as the U.K., France, Italy and Austria.

The U.S. government made it clear that the Tsipras administration would have to convince these countries that it was serious about implementing reforms if they, in turn, were to offer their support. Panagopoulos also explained that Washington’s strategy was to stress the geopolitical importance of keeping Greece in the single currency.

Panagopoulos also noted that there was frequent and extensive contact between Athens and Washington, including officials from the Treasury and the State Department. The senior diplomat wrote that U.S. authorities underlined the need for the euro zone to accept further reduction of Greek debt, while the U.S. government also encouraged the IMF to be vocal about debt relief.
Tsipras was among the participants in Monday’s UN General Assembly, and on Monday evening he will attend a reception for the heads of the delegations, hosted by President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.

The way in which the euro zone carried out the Greek debt restructuring is essential for the country’s broader effort to get its fiscal house in order. It is also essential for investors, who require fiscal stabilization and debt sustainability, to invest in Greek bonds. Debt relief has special political importance for Tsipras, who must implement tough fiscal measures and structural reforms and use the debt settlement as a “sweetener” to settle internal political and social reactions caused by the austerity battle with EU partner nations.
Euro zone officials have reportedly offered Greece a 30-year grace period and a lengthened loan maturity period so that annual debt servicing does not exceed 15 percent of the country’s GDP. Some analysts argue that such a settlement would keep Greece dependent on the “moods” of its creditors for years, perhaps decades. In such a case, Europe is likely to pin the restructuring of Greece’s debt to a series of milestones and new terms and conditions.

“Driblets of debt relief cannot be merely a prize for more counterproductive austerity,” said Ashoka Mody, visiting professor of international economic policy at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School.

The Greek aspirations for debt include extending the euro zone loans’ maturities and an interest-rate swap so that the floating-rate loans become fixed. However, if such a swap is conducted at market rates, it will not reduce the net present value of the debt without the euro zone debt holders assuming losses—one of the main reasons Tsipras is seeking international community support.

source:cnbc.com

NASA says dark, narrow streaks flowing downhill on Mars were almost certainly formed by flowing water. Photo: NASA

Dark, narrow gullies on the surface of the red planet contain water-bearing salts which researchers say almost certainly formed from water flowing downhill.

Although the source and the chemistry of the water is unknown, the discovery could affect thinking about whether the planet that is most like Earth in the solar system could support present day microbial life.

The discovery, made with NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, adds to mounting evidence that an ancient Mars had all the right ingredients for life to emerge.

“Of all the worlds we’ve explored, water flows only on the surface of one – ours. Which is why the discovery that water is now likely to be regularly flowing across Mars is so stunning,” said Swinburne University of Technology astrophysicist Alan Duffy.

Scientists developed a new technique to analyse chemical maps of the Martian surface obtained by NASA’s Orbiter spacecraft.

Using instruments on the MRO, a research team led by Lujendra Ojha from the Georgia Institute of Technology analysed the chemical composition of a series of dark streaks, or gullies, emanating out of the walls of Garni crater.

The gullies are 100-metres long and about five metres wide and appear larger during warm seasons.

Compared to the surrounding terrain, it was only in these gullies that the CRISM instrument detected water-bearing salts.

The findings were published in Nature Geoscience on Tuesday.

The slopes, first reported in 2011, appear during the warm summer months on Mars, then vanish when the temperatures drop.

Scientists suspected the streaks, known as recurring slope lineae, or RSL, were cut by flowing water, but had previously been unable to make the measurements.

While the planet has polar ice caps and once hosted oceans and lakes billions of years ago, Dr Duffy said a lot people would be surprised to learn there is liquid water flowing there right now.

It was assumed liquid water could not survive the planet’s dry, cold conditions and low atmospheric pressure, which would cause any surface water to boil away.

Cosmologist Geraint Lewis said just as salt on a frozen driveway lowered the freezing point of ice, this briny water remained liquid in the harsh conditions on Mars, allowing it to flow across the surface in the chill of a mid-summer on Mars.

Professor Lewis said many questions remained, including what was the source of this salty water.

It may be ice locked up under the surface or formed from vapours in the atmosphere.

Whatever the source, NASA’s next Martian mission is likely to target these salty water flows.

NASA’s mantra is to “follow the water” because where there is water there might be life.

“This is why NASA has invested so much resources into finding water on Mars,” Dr Duffy said.

NASA went into details about how the discovery of liquid water on Mars was made during an major announcement and press briefing that was webcast, but it was not able to answer the biggest question: is there extraterrestrial life on the red planet?

“We haven’t been able to answer the question ‘does life exist beyond earth?’, but following the [trail of] water is a critical element of that,” Dr Jim Green, Planetary Science Division director at NASA, said in a Q&A after the announcement.

“We now have I think great opportunities to be in the right locations on Mars to thoroughly investigate that.”

John Grunsfeld, NASA’s associate administrator for the Science Mission Directorate, says the existence briny liquid water adds to the possibility that there is life on Mars.

“The existence of liquid water, even if it’s super salty briny water, gives the possibility that if there’s life on Mars, it will give us a means to describe how life survived.

Gunseld also said NASA is in the best position yet to determine if there is life on Mars, or if there was once life on Mars.

“And we are now at a point technologically with over 50 years of successful space flight, that we have the capability to go there, ask this question ‘is there life on Mars?’ and answer it. This to me is the most exciting thing. Now that question is not an abstract scientific question. It’s a concrete one that we can answer.”

While NASA has not located proof of life on Mars, it has made some fascinating discoveries regarding the weather on Mars.

“We think a full water cycle existed billions of years ago,” NASA announced on Twitter. “We haven’t seen rain, but we have seen snow.”

It’s generally thought conditions on Mars are too hostile for life to exist today – the planet is freezing cold, bone dry and bombarded by radiation.

But Mars was once a more hospitable place. Dr Duffy said scientists had previously been too pessimistic about the conditions in which life can exist.

Life has adapted to horrendous conditions on Earth so something may have survived on Mars.

“You want to be careful betting yourself against nature,” he said.

source:smh.com.au