From the archives of the Hindustan Times: October 31, 2019

Russia explodes super bomb in the Arctic (1961)

London- The Kew observatory here has confirmed that the Russians exploded a bomb of 50 megatons or more this morning.

The first report came from the observatory of the Uppsala University in Sweden, which said that the bomb had been exploded at 9-37 a.m. in the Arctic very high in the atmosphere.

Scientists at Kew said today (October 30) it was the most powerful recording ever done in the observatory. The intensity was almost three times as powerful as that of the earlier bomb which was thought to be of 30 megatons. The pressure wave caused by the bomb today was recorded here about 12 noon.

The radioactive fallout, according to the experts here, is being blown eastward towards Siberia. They expect this to continue eastward, but later winds may blow it southwards to Central Asia and China.

The immediate danger from the bomb is the dreaded radioactive Iodine 131, which has a short life But Strotium 90, which has a longer life, will spread in the atmosphere for several years.

The explosion of the bomb against which the United Nations protested recently by an overwhelming majority-is apparently the end of the current series of Russian tests.

Soviet Premier Khruschev had stated that the 50-megaton bomb would be detonated before the end of October and that the tests would cease by then.

British Indignation

Soon after the explosion, the British Government declared that it wholeheartedly deplored the Soviet action, Reuter adds.

A statement issued by the British Foreign Office said it shared world indignation at “this wanton disregard for the welfare and safety of the human race.”

10 yrs, 71 Tests: A double ton at last (1999)

A decade, 70 Tests before this one, 109 innings and 20 centuries after making his bow in world cricket, Sachin Tendulkar broke a psychological barrier at 2.26 p.m. on Saturday (October 30) when he scored his first double century: A knock of 217 against New Zealand in the third Test at Ahmedabad.

“Ten years is a long time. I tried my best. The bottom line is to keep trying. I showed a lot of patience. Finally, I have got it and am quite happy,” he said.

The conquest of Peak 200 put to rest doubts about Sachin’s ability to concentrate for long hours and his tendency to throw his wicket out of boredom. He has three 170-plus knocks to his credit.

“When I reached 180, I told Ajay Jadeja that it felt different. I wanted to spend some time in the 180s and I knew it was sure to come,” he said.

His knock took some of the sheen away from his record fourth-wicket 281-run stand with Sourav Ganguly (125). His was the first double-century by an Indian after Vinod Kambil’s 227 against Zimbabwe at Delhi’s Ferozshah Kotla in 1993.

Vettel is the champ, India the winner (2011)

Greater Noida- They came expecting the worst. They left dazzled. Not only did India offer Formula One a racing circuit rivalling the best in the world, it did so with typical Indian warmth. Good tracks these F1 fellows are used to but friendly, open people proved to be India’s greatest ambassadors.

World champion and winner of the first Indian Grand Prix, Sebastian Vettel’s take on the country after his race was a touch philosophical but insightful: “If you keep your eyes and ears open I think you are able to learn a lot (from) the way people handle things here. It is a big country, a lot of people… but they get along and are happy… even though people don’t have a lot here, in a way they are much richer than a lot of people back in Europe. It is a great race, great event.”

Second-placed Jenson Button has been effusive in his praise for the facility ever since he got here. But on Sunday he went the distance: “In the years to come, we are going to think of it (the circuit) as one of the greats. It is a very special circuit.”

F1 is the technical pinnacle of motorsports. The fastest machines on the planet can only run in high-tech arenas built to exacting standards.