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An experiment on the effects of space environment on human body has thrown up a lot of bad news that can whitewash plans to conquer Mars and beyond. The study done by researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and published in PLoS One, shows that radiation and weightlessness can destroy the human heart and increase the chances of developing cancer.&nbsp;NASA developed a protocol called hindlimb unloading (HLU) to simulate weightlessness in rats. A harness was used to lift their back legs off the ground at a 30 degree angle for thirty days. This led to much of the fluids in the body rushing towards their heads, taking off the weight off their lower bodies. This is as close as they could come to mimicking astronauts in microgravity.&nbsp;To recreate radiation on Earth, they utilised the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This lab can simulate the radiation environment as it is outside the Earth's atmosphere.&nbsp;&nbsp;The rats were “unloaded” for five days and hit with extreme high radiation levels for a few minutes. They remained suspended for 25 more days. The harness was then removed and the rats for monitored for a year, which is equal to nearly 25 human years.<h2>Rat hearts bore a major chunk of the brunt</h2>The study focussed on how the simulation affected their hearts. Scientists found that 1.5 Gray of absorbed radiation led the rats to develop perivascular fibrosis, a type of scar tissue around the coronary vessels that feed blood to the heart. This scar doubled in 270 days, squeezing the blood vessels and increasing the chances of heart attack. The effect was entirely caused by radiation.&nbsp;When the rats were exposed to lower radiation, equal to the radiation exposure over the course of a three year mission to Mars, the scarring wasn't visible. However, 83 per cent of the rats developed it after a year. This means that the scarring would take decades to become visible in humans.&nbsp;Their immune system also took a hit, with their spleens losing two thirds of its Natural Killer (NK) cells that wipe out virus-infected and potentially cancerous cells. This was the result of both microgravity and radiation.&nbsp;Sequencing of the genomes of their white blood cells showed permanent mutations in a number of genes 235 days after exposure to the radiation. Some of these genes are tied to Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential (CHIP) which appears as we age because of a single mutated blood cell. This mutated blood cell carries with it an increased risk of leukemia and quadruples the risk of heart attacks and strokes.&nbsp;Even though the study has its limitations, especially since all the radiation was delivered quickly, it is still bad news for human dream of long-term space flight and reaching the vast expanse of the universe.&nbsp;

Mars is not an ideal environment for humans, but the journey to the Red Planet itself will devastate the human body even before astronauts land on its surface. A study has found that our hearts will not be able to survive the trip.  

An experiment on the effects of space environment on human body has thrown up a lot of bad news that can whitewash plans to conquer Mars and beyond. The study done by researchers from the Medical College of Wisconsin, and published in PLoS One, shows that radiation and weightlessness can destroy the human heart and increase the chances of developing cancer. NASA developed a protocol called hindlimb unloading (HLU) to simulate weightlessness in rats. A harness was used to lift their back legs off the ground at a 30 degree angle for thirty days. This led to much of the fluids in the body rushing towards their heads, taking off the weight off their lower bodies. This is as close as they could come to mimicking astronauts in microgravity. To recreate radiation on Earth, they utilised the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory at Brookhaven National Laboratory. This lab can simulate the radiation environment as it is outside the Earth's atmosphere. The rats were “unloaded” for five days and hit with extreme high radiation levels for a few minutes. They remained suspended for 25 more days. The harness was then removed and the rats for monitored for a year, which is equal to nearly 25 human years. Rat hearts bore a major chunk of the brunt The study focussed on how the simulation affected their hearts. Scientists found that 1.5 Gray of absorbed radiation led the rats to develop perivascular fibrosis, a type of scar tissue around the coronary vessels that feed blood to the heart. This scar doubled in 270 days, squeezing the blood vessels and increasing the chances of heart attack. The effect was entirely caused by radiation. When the rats were exposed to lower radiation, equal to the radiation exposure over the course of a three year mission to Mars, the scarring wasn't visible. However, 83 per cent of the rats developed it after a year. This means that the scarring would take decades to become visible in humans. Their immune system also took a hit, with their spleens losing two thirds of its Natural Killer (NK) cells that wipe out virus-infected and potentially cancerous cells. This was the result of both microgravity and radiation. Sequencing of the genomes of their white blood cells showed permanent mutations in a number of genes 235 days after exposure to the radiation. Some of these genes are tied to Clonal Hematopoiesis of Indeterminate Potential (CHIP) which appears as we age because of a single mutated blood cell. This mutated blood cell carries with it an increased risk of leukemia and quadruples the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Even though the study has its limitations, especially since all the radiation was delivered quickly, it is still bad news for human dream of long-term space flight and reaching the vast expanse of the universe.

Mars is not an ideal environment for humans, but the journey to the Red Planet itself will devastate the human body even before astronauts land on its surface. A study has found that our hearts will not be able to survive the trip. &nbsp;

Mars is not for man: Human heart is too weak to survive the trip, study shows

Authorities in Punjab’s Mansa district demolished part of a medical store owner’s house on Wednesday (Oct 14), a day after he allegedly shot dead anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh, popularly known as Jhota, in broad daylight. Meanwhile, an angry mob vandalised and set fire to the accused’s chemist shop, where the shooting took place.<h2>Authorities demolish house, mob set shop on fire</h2>An excavator brought down the front portion of Ashwani Kumar’s house in Veer Nagar after authorities received information about unauthorised construction on the premises, officials said.The demolition drew a large crowd, with people climbing the boundary walls of nearby houses to watch and record the action. At the same time, a mob, including some Nihangs, attacked Kumar’s medical store with sticks and stones, damaging the structure before setting it ablaze.The crowd raised slogans against the accused as the shop was reduced to rubble. Police personnel remained deployed in the area as tensions continued to simmer.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">परविंदर सिंह की हत्या करने वाले अश्वनी कुमार के घर पर चला बुलडोज़र!

भगवंत मान सरकार का साफ़ संदेश है: पंजाब में अपराध और नशे के कारोबारियों के लिए कोई जगह नहीं है। पंजाब पुलिस को चुनौती देने वालों को बख्शा नहीं जाएगा।

नशा माफिया हो या अपराधी, पंजाब में किसी की मनमानी नहीं चलेगी!&mdash; AAP (@AamAadmiParty) <a href="https://x.com/AamAadmiParty/status/2110291641336778935?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">#WATCH मानसा, पंजाब: एंटी-ड्रग एक्टिविस्ट परविंदर सिंह झोटा की कल गोली मारकर हत्या करने के आरोपी अश्विनी की दुकान में भीड़ ने आग लगा दी। https://t.co/zeRuz1bXQP&mdash; ANI_HindiNews (@AHindinews) <a href="https://x.com/AHindinews/status/2110277499011883395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<h2>What led to Jhota’s killing?</h2>Jhota, who had been vocal against drug abuse and the alleged illegal sale of addictive substances at chemist shops, was shot dead in a busy marketplace on Tuesday (Oct 13). Kumar allegedly opened fire on the activist and his companions after they confronted him over the sale of addictive drugs to an elderly man. Jhota was hosting a Facebook Live when the incident occurred.Police said Kumar was taken into custody from Salasar in Rajasthan. An associate accused of helping him flee was arrested on Tuesday.<h2>Outrage after Jhota’s killing</h2>The killing triggered outrage among Jhota’s supporters, who vandalised the medical store. His family refused to cremate his body as a mark of protest.Opposition leaders condemned the murder, accusing the AAP government of a “breakdown” in law and order and alleging that “Jungle Raj” prevailed in Punjab. They also questioned the safety of people speaking out against the state’s drug problem, with Jhota’s killing bringing renewed attention to the risks faced by those confronting the alleged illegal drug trade.&nbsp;

Punjab authorities demolished part of a chemist’s house after anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh alias Jhota was shot dead in Mansa. A mob vandalised and set fire to the accused’s shop.

Authorities in Punjab’s Mansa district demolished part of a medical store owner’s house on Wednesday (Oct 14), a day after he allegedly shot dead anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh, popularly known as Jhota, in broad daylight. Meanwhile, an angry mob vandalised and set fire to the accused’s chemist shop, where the shooting took place. Authorities demolish house, mob set shop on fire An excavator brought down the front portion of Ashwani Kumar’s house in Veer Nagar after authorities received information about unauthorised construction on the premises, officials said. The demolition drew a large crowd, with people climbing the boundary walls of nearby houses to watch and record the action. At the same time, a mob, including some Nihangs, attacked Kumar’s medical store with sticks and stones, damaging the structure before setting it ablaze. The crowd raised slogans against the accused as the shop was reduced to rubble. Police personnel remained deployed in the area as tensions continued to simmer.

Punjab authorities demolished part of a chemist’s house after anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh alias Jhota was shot dead in Mansa. A mob vandalised and set fire to the accused’s shop.

Punjab anti-drug activist murder: Accused’s house demolished, shop set on fire

After peripheral vision of an individual narrows, changes in central vision and colour perception come next in the progression of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), further leading to blindness. Researchers have come up with an experimental treatment which has helped some patients recover limited visual abilities. The method combines a gene injection using distinctive goggles. It was developed using a small trial involving 10 people with profound vision loss in both eyes. Following the treatment, some participants developed better vision with the ability to detect objects, locate them, and reach toward them while using the device. The New England Journal of Medicine has published the study, which was coauthored by ophthalmologist José-Alain Sahel at the University of Pittsburgh and vision researcher Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel in Switzerland.<h3>What is Retinitis pigmentosa?</h3>It is a family of inherited disorders in which genetic mutations damage the photoreceptors of the retina, the cells responsible for detecting light. Onset can occur in childhood or later in life, and the disease progresses at different rates; it can also arise in people with no known family history. Because changes in more than 100 different genes can trigger it, developing a treatment for each genetic cause has proven difficult. The approach being tested, known as optogenetic therapy, equips surviving nerve cells with a new mechanism for responding to light. Each participant was given a single injection in their weaker eye, through which a modified virus carried instructions for retinal ganglion cells — the nerve cells that carry visual information to the brain- to produce a light-sensitive protein called ChrimsonR. "The gene therapy delivers a light sensor to the blind retina, making it light-sensitive again. The goggles provide light stimulation at the wavelength to which this sensor responds," Sahel and Roska told ScienceAlert. The goggles pair a built-in camera, which detects brightness changes, with a processor that translates these into amber light patterns, projected onto the retina to activate the protein. "In addition, the goggles adapt to outside light conditions and modify the signal to ensure optimal stimulation of the retina," Sahel and Roska said.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/double-earthquake-hits-atlantic-knock-on-effect-from-string-of-tremors-could-mean-us-is-next-1791967047338">Double earthquake hits Atlantic: Geophysicist warns US is next, and it could happen this week</a> &nbsp;Participants trained with the goggles and underwent vision tests, with their untreated eye covered and assessed for light sensitivity and object detection. Researchers later found that participants with low vision could see through the goggles both before and after treatment. Post-treatment, seven participants showed heightened sensitivity — ranging from roughly twofold to 62-fold, with six reaching close to a fourfold increase or more, a benchmark drawn from prior research rather than set in advance by the trial protocol. Eight participants underwent object-based testing with and without the goggles, attempting to detect, locate, and touch a notebook or a small box of staples, and to identify a bar’s orientation. Four showed consistently better notebook detection with the goggles across repeated sessions over roughly a year to eighteen months, while others showed no steady improvement. The study did not predefine criteria for identifying participants as responders. "Differences between patients in the increase in sensitivity may reflect how well the gene therapy vector reaches the retinal cells, or how many retinal cells remain, or other variables such as training to wear the goggles," Sahel and Roska explained. More training sessions correlated with better performance, though confidence intervals left room for no effect. Brain recordings from five participants suggested visual signals reached the brain. Safety was deemed “very good,” based on 10 participants: 34 eye-related and 70 systemic adverse events occurred, mostly mild, with none of the systemic events linked to the therapy. Follow-up ranged from two to five years. GenSight Biologics funded the non-randomised, uncontrolled trial; further research is needed.

The method was developed using a small trial involving 10 people with profound vision loss in both eyes. After the treatment, some participants developed better vision, with the ability to detect objects, locate them, and reach toward them while using the device.

After peripheral vision of an individual narrows, changes in central vision and colour perception come next in the progression of retinitis pigmentosa (RP), further leading to blindness. Researchers have come up with an experimental treatment which has helped some patients recover limited visual abilities. The method combines a gene injection using distinctive goggles. It was developed using a small trial involving 10 people with profound vision loss in both eyes. Following the treatment, some participants developed better vision with the ability to detect objects, locate them, and reach toward them while using the device. The New England Journal of Medicine has published the study, which was coauthored by ophthalmologist José-Alain Sahel at the University of Pittsburgh and vision researcher Botond Roska at the Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel in Switzerland. What is Retinitis pigmentosa? It is a family of inherited disorders in which genetic mutations damage the photoreceptors of the retina, the cells responsible for detecting light. Onset can occur in childhood or later in life, and the disease progresses at different rates; it can also arise in people with no known family history. Because changes in more than 100 different genes can trigger it, developing a treatment for each genetic cause has proven difficult. The approach being tested, known as optogenetic therapy, equips surviving nerve cells with a new mechanism for responding to light. Each participant was given a single injection in their weaker eye, through which a modified virus carried instructions for retinal ganglion cells — the nerve cells that carry visual information to the brain- to produce a light-sensitive protein called ChrimsonR. "The gene therapy delivers a light sensor to the blind retina, making it light-sensitive again. The goggles provide light stimulation at the wavelength to which this sensor responds," Sahel and Roska told ScienceAlert. The goggles pair a built-in camera, which detects brightness changes, with a processor that translates these into amber light patterns, projected onto the retina to activate the protein. "In addition, the goggles adapt to outside light conditions and modify the signal to ensure optimal stimulation of the retina," Sahel and Roska said. Also read: Double earthquake hits Atlantic: Geophysicist warns US is next, and it could happen this week Participants trained with the goggles and underwent vision tests, with their untreated eye covered and assessed for light sensitivity and object detection. Researchers later found that participants with low vision could see through the goggles both before and after treatment. Post-treatment, seven participants showed heightened sensitivity — ranging from roughly twofold to 62-fold, with six reaching close to a fourfold increase or more, a benchmark drawn from prior research rather than set in advance by the trial protocol. Eight participants underwent object-based testing with and without the goggles, attempting to detect, locate, and touch a notebook or a small box of staples, and to identify a bar’s orientation. Four showed consistently better notebook detection with the goggles across repeated sessions over roughly a year to eighteen months, while others showed no steady improvement. The study did not predefine criteria for identifying participants as responders. "Differences between patients in the increase in sensitivity may reflect how well the gene therapy vector reaches the retinal cells, or how many retinal cells remain, or other variables such as training to wear the goggles," Sahel and Roska explained. More training sessions correlated with better performance, though confidence intervals left room for no effect. Brain recordings from five participants suggested visual signals reached the brain. Safety was deemed “very good,” based on 10 participants: 34 eye-related and 70 systemic adverse events occurred, mostly mild, with none of the systemic events linked to the therapy. Follow-up ranged from two to five years. GenSight Biologics funded the non-randomised, uncontrolled trial; further research is needed.

The method was developed using a small trial involving 10 people with profound vision loss in both eyes. After the treatment, some participants developed better vision, with the ability to detect objects, locate them, and reach toward them while using the device.

Blind patients regain partial sight with novel gene-goggle therapy: Details inside

The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected two earthquakes in the Atlantic Ocean on October 13, which are likely part of a chain reaction taking place this year. A magnitude 6.7 quake struck at 1.44 am along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Africa and South America. This region is already witnessing a slow split at the bottom of the ocean. The second quake was recorded at 8.23 am ET and measured 6.9.&nbsp;This year multiple earthquakes have struck, including in Japan, Venezuela, Colombia and Panama and Indonesia. Geophysicist Stefan Burns told the Daily Mail that the Atlantic tremors were part of this sequence and the fault lines in America could be next. If this happens, it would be a major incident for the country, he said.&nbsp;The Panama, Colombia and Venezuela earthquakes were triggered by seismic activity that struck the Caribbean plate, Burns said. He believes that the Atlantic Ocean earthquakes show how the seismic stress along that plate was now affecting the South American and African plates. He says this is called the "knock-on effect" in which the energy is transferred to the connecting plates. This means that the North American plate could be next.<h2>A study that showed big earthquake could trigger several small quakes</h2>A 2012 study published in the journal Nature showed that a powerful earthquakes could trigger more seismic activity across the world. Researchers from UC Berkeley and the USGS found that a magnitude 8.6 earthquake in the Indian Ocean shook different parts of the world in the following days. This included a magnitude 7.0 event in Baja California.&nbsp;According to coauthor Roland Bürgmann, the "right kind of earthquake" could trigger smaller earthquakes and ultimately larger ruptures. They might be rare, but they are still a "real possibility."&nbsp;The Atlantic "doublet" hints that there is movement happening between the South American and African plates following the ruptures in the Caribbean plate. Besides the earthquakes seen this year, with most 7 magnitude or higher, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Cayman Islands in February 2025.&nbsp;He wrote on X that there is a possibility that the pattern of large earthquakes along the plates bordering the Americas could trigger major seismic event this week. Forecasting earthquakes still remains almost impossible, but Burns's warning should not be dismissed as he predicted South America earthquake weeks before they happened.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Two major earthquakes hit the Atlantic Ocean on October 13, which are possibly part of the chain reaction from previous earthquakes this year. A geophysicist has warned that the energy could now have been transferred to the American fault plate and a major incident could strike US.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected two earthquakes in the Atlantic Ocean on October 13, which are likely part of a chain reaction taking place this year. A magnitude 6.7 quake struck at 1.44 am along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between Africa and South America. This region is already witnessing a slow split at the bottom of the ocean. The second quake was recorded at 8.23 am ET and measured 6.9. This year multiple earthquakes have struck, including in Japan, Venezuela, Colombia and Panama and Indonesia. Geophysicist Stefan Burns told the Daily Mail that the Atlantic tremors were part of this sequence and the fault lines in America could be next. If this happens, it would be a major incident for the country, he said. The Panama, Colombia and Venezuela earthquakes were triggered by seismic activity that struck the Caribbean plate, Burns said. He believes that the Atlantic Ocean earthquakes show how the seismic stress along that plate was now affecting the South American and African plates. He says this is called the "knock-on effect" in which the energy is transferred to the connecting plates. This means that the North American plate could be next. A study that showed big earthquake could trigger several small quakes A 2012 study published in the journal Nature showed that a powerful earthquakes could trigger more seismic activity across the world. Researchers from UC Berkeley and the USGS found that a magnitude 8.6 earthquake in the Indian Ocean shook different parts of the world in the following days. This included a magnitude 7.0 event in Baja California. According to coauthor Roland Bürgmann, the "right kind of earthquake" could trigger smaller earthquakes and ultimately larger ruptures. They might be rare, but they are still a "real possibility." The Atlantic "doublet" hints that there is movement happening between the South American and African plates following the ruptures in the Caribbean plate. Besides the earthquakes seen this year, with most 7 magnitude or higher, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck the Cayman Islands in February 2025. He wrote on X that there is a possibility that the pattern of large earthquakes along the plates bordering the Americas could trigger major seismic event this week. Forecasting earthquakes still remains almost impossible, but Burns's warning should not be dismissed as he predicted South America earthquake weeks before they happened.

Two major earthquakes hit the Atlantic Ocean on October 13, which are possibly part of the chain reaction from previous earthquakes this year. A geophysicist has warned that the energy could now have been transferred to the American fault plate and a major incident could strike US.

Double earthquake hits Atlantic: Geophysicist warns US is next, and it could happen this week

Katie Zacharia, the new White House Press Secretary who replaced Karoline Leavitt, made headlines on Tuesday (Oct 13) as she made her briefing room debut. A conservative commentator and former State Department employee, Zacharia had a disastrous debut that was marked by remarkably few questions from journalists and loads of praise for US President Donald Trump. Notably, the briefing lasted only 14 minutes and included questions from only three conservative outlets before she deferred all questions to Trump himself.A key moment from the debut briefing was when the 'visibly nervous' Zacharia slipped up, referring to "my president" as "excuse me, my husband," triggering ripples of laughter. She also raised eyebrows when she said that she had passed her bar exam when she moved to China.The disastrous debut has already prompted a Polymarket bet about when Zacharia would be "out as press secretary".Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/my-president-i-mean-my-husband-trump-s-new-press-secretary-katie-zacharia-s-first-briefing-goes-off-the-rails-in-14-minutes-1791915462032">‘My president, I mean my husband’: Trump's new press secretary Katie Zacharia's first briefing goes off the rails in 14 minutes</a><h2>Bets placed on how long Zacharia will last as press secretary</h2>Prediction market Polymarket wagers have given Zacharia a mere 29 per cent chance of lasting the year.Her performance has triggered backlash online, with netizens wondering if she would even last as long as ex-White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who held the position for a record-short stint of 10 days in 2017 during Trump’s first term. For now, the odds of her being ousted by the end of the month (October) are low at just eight per cent.<h2>Is Zacharia a "joke hire"?</h2>Talking to The Independent, a former Trump admin official dubbed Zacharia's debut a "train wreck". The former Trump official, as per the report, previously described her as a "joke hire" who would likely be "gone in six months".Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-midterms-2026-how-grocery-bills-cost-of-living-are-turning-the-nov-3-election-into-a-test-of-trump-1791022350055">US Midterms 2026: How grocery bills, cost of living are turning the Nov 3 election into a test of Trump</a><h2>Katie Zacharia- Donald Trump: Previous links</h2>A 41-year-old devotee of Trump's hard-right MAGA movement, Zacharia, is known to make frequent appearances on conservative outlets Fox News and Newsmax. According to her LinkedIn profile, she previously worked as a legal adviser for Fix California, a conservative group founded by Trump's former Venezuela envoy Richard Grenell. The group aims to address what it described as "the left's stranglehold" on state politics.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn3.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20261014/image-1791963567398.png"></figure>She has also previously served as an adviser to Trump Media and Technology, the group behind the president's Truth Social platform.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn3.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20261014/image-1791963609730.png"></figure>Zacharia also had a brief stint as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security before departing in March. She interned at the White House during President George W. Bush's administration.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn3.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20261014/image-1791963669525.png"></figure><h2>Zacahria's Chinese law degree</h2>The new press secretary's debut also saw her fielding questions about her law degree and bar accreditation. Talking to the press alongside Trump before the POTUS left for Alaska, Zacharia was asked where she passed the bar exam: "China", she answered.“Where did she pass the bar exam? Which state?” a reporter asked Trump, who then turned to Zacharia to ask her, "Which state?”Her reply has since become a point of contention. “When I moved to China,” Zacharia responded.The White House has sought to clarify the remark and has clarified that Zacharia passed the bar exam and had moved to China with her husband after graduating due to his job at a US private equity firm. She, meanwhile, worked on international transaction law, reported The Hill.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Katie Zacharia's first White House briefing was over in just 14 minutes, but not before a China-related bar exam remark raised eyebrows. Her past links to Trump Media and conservative groups are now drawing fresh attention.

Katie Zacharia, the new White House Press Secretary who replaced Karoline Leavitt, made headlines on Tuesday (Oct 13) as she made her briefing room debut. A conservative commentator and former State Department employee, Zacharia had a disastrous debut that was marked by remarkably few questions from journalists and loads of praise for US President Donald Trump. Notably, the briefing lasted only 14 minutes and included questions from only three conservative outlets before she deferred all questions to Trump himself. A key moment from the debut briefing was when the 'visibly nervous' Zacharia slipped up, referring to "my president" as "excuse me, my husband," triggering ripples of laughter. She also raised eyebrows when she said that she had passed her bar exam when she moved to China. The disastrous debut has already prompted a Polymarket bet about when Zacharia would be "out as press secretary". Also read | ‘My president, I mean my husband’: Trump's new press secretary Katie Zacharia's first briefing goes off the rails in 14 minutes Bets placed on how long Zacharia will last as press secretary Prediction market Polymarket wagers have given Zacharia a mere 29 per cent chance of lasting the year. Her performance has triggered backlash online, with netizens wondering if she would even last as long as ex-White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci, who held the position for a record-short stint of 10 days in 2017 during Trump’s first term. For now, the odds of her being ousted by the end of the month (October) are low at just eight per cent. Is Zacharia a "joke hire"? Talking to The Independent, a former Trump admin official dubbed Zacharia's debut a "train wreck". The former Trump official, as per the report, previously described her as a "joke hire" who would likely be "gone in six months". Also read | US Midterms 2026: How grocery bills, cost of living are turning the Nov 3 election into a test of Trump Katie Zacharia- Donald Trump: Previous links A 41-year-old devotee of Trump's hard-right MAGA movement, Zacharia, is known to make frequent appearances on conservative outlets Fox News and Newsmax. According to her LinkedIn profile, she previously worked as a legal adviser for Fix California, a conservative group founded by Trump's former Venezuela envoy Richard Grenell. The group aims to address what it described as "the left's stranglehold" on state politics. She has also previously served as an adviser to Trump Media and Technology, the group behind the president's Truth Social platform. Zacharia also had a brief stint as a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security before departing in March. She interned at the White House during President George W. Bush's administration. Zacahria's Chinese law degree The new press secretary's debut also saw her fielding questions about her law degree and bar accreditation. Talking to the press alongside Trump before the POTUS left for Alaska, Zacharia was asked where she passed the bar exam: "China", she answered. “Where did she pass the bar exam? Which state?” a reporter asked Trump, who then turned to Zacharia to ask her, "Which state?” Her reply has since become a point of contention. “When I moved to China,” Zacharia responded. The White House has sought to clarify the remark and has clarified that Zacharia passed the bar exam and had moved to China with her husband after graduating due to his job at a US private equity firm. She, meanwhile, worked on international transaction law, reported The Hill.

Katie Zacharia's first White House briefing was over in just 14 minutes, but not before a China-related bar exam remark raised eyebrows. Her past links to Trump Media and conservative groups are now drawing fresh attention.

Trump's new press secretary under fire after China bar exam remark; Polymarket bets on how long Katie Zacharia will last

Some AI researchers are such firm believers in the power of the technology that they have taken up smoking. As bizarre as it might sound, this is a claim made by Palantir chief technology officer Shyam Sankar. He said that "mass psychosis" has gripped the Silicon Valley where companies are racing to create artificial general intelligence, or AGI, a machine as intelligent as, or even more than humans.&nbsp;His claim is based on the supposed belief that AI will become so strong that it will one day find a cure for cancer. Speaking to CBS News in an interview, Sankar said, "So many researchers have started smoking as a way of signaling to other researchers how much they believe in AI."&nbsp; He said the belief is linked to the "social delusion" around AI.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/471-years-ago-a-prophecy-warned-of-immortal-lone-brain-some-think-it-was-about-ai-1789446908198">471 years ago, a prophecy warned of 'immortal lone brain'. Some think it was about AI</a>&nbsp;“I’m showing you my chips are all in. So there is kind of this mass psychosis, social delusion around it,” he said, without providing any evidence to back his claim.<h2>Nicotine products being put inside offices</h2>It isn't clear how many AI researchers have actually taken up smoking cigarettes just to prove the amount of faith they have in the technology. However, according to a report by Fortune, nicotine products have made a comeback in offices. Palantir itself has vending machines in its Washington DC office stocked with free nicotine pouches.&nbsp;Smoking has reportedly made a return among some startups, especially as a way to network. Business Insider reported that healthmaxxing is no longer on the agenda of Silicon Valley and more researchers are now smoking. "By the time you do get lung cancer, our AI robots are supposed to have cured that," Avi Schiffmann, the CEO of AI wearable startup Friend, told the outlet.<h2>"God-Shaped Hole" and AI safety</h2>Sankar implied smoking is a symptom of the "social delusion" that he says has taken over concerns around AI safety. "Many of these folks in Silicon Valley who are building this technology have filled that hole with the machine god of AGI,” he said, referring to the "God-shaped hole" idea. Hypothesised by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, "God-Shaped Hole" is a concept that suggests humans have a natural drive for higher purpose, meaning, or spiritual fulfillment.&nbsp;He pointed out that these researchers are out of touch with reality, as they fear about existential threat posed by AI in the future, while still choosing to smoke despite being aware that the habit comes with major health risks.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Palantir chief technology officer Shyam Sankar claims AI researchers are such staunch believers of AI that they have started smoking. They are sure that AGI will one day find a cure for cancer, claiming "mass psychosis" has taken over Silicon Valley. 

Some AI researchers are such firm believers in the power of the technology that they have taken up smoking. As bizarre as it might sound, this is a claim made by Palantir chief technology officer Shyam Sankar. He said that "mass psychosis" has gripped the Silicon Valley where companies are racing to create artificial general intelligence, or AGI, a machine as intelligent as, or even more than humans. His claim is based on the supposed belief that AI will become so strong that it will one day find a cure for cancer. Speaking to CBS News in an interview, Sankar said, "So many researchers have started smoking as a way of signaling to other researchers how much they believe in AI." He said the belief is linked to the "social delusion" around AI. Also Read: 471 years ago, a prophecy warned of 'immortal lone brain'. Some think it was about AI “I’m showing you my chips are all in. So there is kind of this mass psychosis, social delusion around it,” he said, without providing any evidence to back his claim. Nicotine products being put inside offices It isn't clear how many AI researchers have actually taken up smoking cigarettes just to prove the amount of faith they have in the technology. However, according to a report by Fortune, nicotine products have made a comeback in offices. Palantir itself has vending machines in its Washington DC office stocked with free nicotine pouches. Smoking has reportedly made a return among some startups, especially as a way to network. Business Insider reported that healthmaxxing is no longer on the agenda of Silicon Valley and more researchers are now smoking. "By the time you do get lung cancer, our AI robots are supposed to have cured that," Avi Schiffmann, the CEO of AI wearable startup Friend, told the outlet. "God-Shaped Hole" and AI safety Sankar implied smoking is a symptom of the "social delusion" that he says has taken over concerns around AI safety. "Many of these folks in Silicon Valley who are building this technology have filled that hole with the machine god of AGI,” he said, referring to the "God-shaped hole" idea. Hypothesised by 17th-century French mathematician Blaise Pascal, "God-Shaped Hole" is a concept that suggests humans have a natural drive for higher purpose, meaning, or spiritual fulfillment. He pointed out that these researchers are out of touch with reality, as they fear about existential threat posed by AI in the future, while still choosing to smoke despite being aware that the habit comes with major health risks.

Palantir chief technology officer Shyam Sankar claims AI researchers are such staunch believers of AI that they have started smoking. They are sure that AGI will one day find a cure for cancer, claiming "mass psychosis" has taken over Silicon Valley.&nbsp;

Case of 'mass psychosis': AI researchers are smoking because they are sure AGI can cure cancer

America’s Navy turned 251 on Tuesday (Oct 13), and some US politicians, eager to join the birthday celebrations, committed a big blunder. The wishes were meant for US Navy fleet, but the ships in the posts that several prominent Republican lawmakers and state governors shared were from India and Russia instead. While the US Navy Day is observed annually on October 27, a separate commemoration from the official US Navy Birthday is celebrated on October 13.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/-president-zi-blunder-goes-viral-as-trump-campaign-mocked-over-tiktok-typo-during-china-visit-1778892424559">'President Zi' blunder goes viral as Trump campaign mocked over TikTok typo during China visit</a>&nbsp;The incident came to limelight when Dave Brown, a journalist with The Wall Street Journal pointed out on X that Georgia Governor Brian P Kemp, a Republican, had shared Indian warships in his post wishing US Navy. He wrote on X, "From the early days of our nation's founding, the Navy has stood watch over our country and defended freedom across the seas. On its birthday, we salute the sailors whose service, sacrifice, and courage carry that legacy forward." The image shared by Kemp had three warships sailing in line astern, emblazoned with the words "Happy Birthday US Navy" and the seal of the state of Georgia. Brown reshared the post and wrote on X: "Those are Indian warships". The three warships were Indian Navy frigates, INS Godavari, INS Brahmaputra and INS Beas. &nbsp;A Community Note on Kemp's X post also identified the vessels as Kolkata-class guided-missile destroyers.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HUhRB80WYAAVBkc?format=png&amp;name=small" alt="Image"></figure>&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/viral-gaffe-trump-mixes-up-india-and-brazil-in-social-post-attacking-us-voting-speed-1791181445745">Viral gaffe: Trump mixes up India and Brazil in social post attacking us voting speed</a>&nbsp;Jeffrey J Dinise, an official with the US Border Patrol, used an image of a Russian Kirov-class battlecruiser.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn3.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20261014/image-1791963309557.png"></figure>&nbsp;US Congressman Tim Moore of North Carolina, meanwhile, used the same image of the three Indian Navy frigates shared by Kemp.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/indiatoday/styles/medium_crop_simple/public/2026-10/huhaszzwcaavjgq.png?VersionId=01EuFcfUXACQcVG34gY2dY7hwDeQ0s.r"></figure>&nbsp;Ohio State Representative Mike Dovilla, a Republican and, a former US Navy lieutenant commander, was seen wishing the US Navy a happy birthday with an image of warships that Brown identified as belonging to the Russian Navy.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HUhRuVBXsAExefX?format=png&amp;name=small" alt="Image"></figure>&nbsp; Democratic politician and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, whose city is home to one of the US Navy's largest naval bases, used an image of the Soviet-era cruiser Mikhail Kutuzov, which is now a museum ship in Novorossiysk, Russia.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/indiatoday/styles/medium_crop_simple/public/2026-10/huiqgx3wkaa4tzm.png?VersionId=W6UchGExdkTt_a1o9M0SwpAw8Q2ZDtIa"></figure>&nbsp; Additionally, the social media account of the Freedom Caucus Foundation, a Republican-aligned think tank, also joined in, using an image of the Indian Navy frigate INS Trikand.&nbsp;<img src="https://akm-img-a-in.tosshub.com/indiatoday/styles/medium_crop_simple/public/2026-10/huiw4ukwmaa8xbi.jpg?VersionId=HltVRzbYqxpASZcouqyy1oUe3beSNq6p&amp;size=750:*"> &nbsp;

American politicians and public figures marked the US Navy's 251st birthday by sharing images of Indian and Russian warships. The posts included Indian Navy frigates and Russian vessels, with a journalist pointing out the errors on social media.

America’s Navy turned 251 on Tuesday (Oct 13), and some US politicians, eager to join the birthday celebrations, committed a big blunder. The wishes were meant for US Navy fleet, but the ships in the posts that several prominent Republican lawmakers and state governors shared were from India and Russia instead. While the US Navy Day is observed annually on October 27, a separate commemoration from the official US Navy Birthday is celebrated on October 13. Also Read: 'President Zi' blunder goes viral as Trump campaign mocked over TikTok typo during China visit The incident came to limelight when Dave Brown, a journalist with The Wall Street Journal pointed out on X that Georgia Governor Brian P Kemp, a Republican, had shared Indian warships in his post wishing US Navy. He wrote on X, "From the early days of our nation's founding, the Navy has stood watch over our country and defended freedom across the seas. On its birthday, we salute the sailors whose service, sacrifice, and courage carry that legacy forward." The image shared by Kemp had three warships sailing in line astern, emblazoned with the words "Happy Birthday US Navy" and the seal of the state of Georgia. Brown reshared the post and wrote on X: "Those are Indian warships". The three warships were Indian Navy frigates, INS Godavari, INS Brahmaputra and INS Beas. A Community Note on Kemp's X post also identified the vessels as Kolkata-class guided-missile destroyers. Also Read: Viral gaffe: Trump mixes up India and Brazil in social post attacking us voting speed Jeffrey J Dinise, an official with the US Border Patrol, used an image of a Russian Kirov-class battlecruiser. US Congressman Tim Moore of North Carolina, meanwhile, used the same image of the three Indian Navy frigates shared by Kemp. Ohio State Representative Mike Dovilla, a Republican and, a former US Navy lieutenant commander, was seen wishing the US Navy a happy birthday with an image of warships that Brown identified as belonging to the Russian Navy. Democratic politician and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, whose city is home to one of the US Navy's largest naval bases, used an image of the Soviet-era cruiser Mikhail Kutuzov, which is now a museum ship in Novorossiysk, Russia. Additionally, the social media account of the Freedom Caucus Foundation, a Republican-aligned think tank, also joined in, using an image of the Indian Navy frigate INS Trikand.

American politicians and public figures marked the US Navy's 251st birthday by sharing images of Indian and Russian warships. The posts included Indian Navy frigates and Russian vessels, with a journalist pointing out the errors on social media.

A unique love story is the talk of a small town in Bihar these days. A woman from Russia has reportedly travelled all the way to India to unite with her lover who returned to his hometown in Bihar six months ago. She plans to marry the boy despite learning that he lives in a hut. Rahul Yadav had gone to Russia for a job where he met Julie. The two struck a chord and entered a relationship.&nbsp;Six months ago, Rahul returned to his village in Bihar. The couple continued with their long-distance relationship. Julie then decided to come to India with her family with plans to tie the knot with Rahul. She reached Bihar and Rahul took her to his house in Bhagalpur. He comes from a poor family and his home is in a dilapidated condition. The girl learnt of his living situation which was starkly different from her life in Russia.&nbsp;However, despite this, Julie wants to marry Rahul. Seeing their love and dedication for each other, their families have agreed to the match. According to social media reports, the wedding could take place in November.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">A Russian girl followed her love to India after Rahul Yadav from Bihar returned home from Russia. 

Despite learning that he was in hiding, she insisted on staying with him, and their families have reportedly agreed to get them married in November. ❤️ https://t.co/bcCOl3QJi8&mdash; Ghar Ke Kalesh (@gharkekalesh) <a href="https://x.com/gharkekalesh/status/2110019273372688684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

&nbsp;<h2>People react to unique love story</h2>Their love story has left social media users talking. People are the girl for putting love above everything else. A user wrote, "the way she left everything for a man whos literally hiding from his own life is crazy but honestly the red bindi and the flowers say she already decided," with another adding, "True love knows no borders or distance."&nbsp;However, others have their doubts about the girl's intentions, saying she could be a spy. "Least obvious Russian Spy," a user wrote. "Or maybe Russian spy. No one is going to suspect them," another said.&nbsp;Some even think that the woman could be trying to get him to join the Russian army. "Is this new strategy to recruit indians for russia - ukraine meat grinder wars?" one wrote. "Looks more like soldier recruitment program," another said, with many more echoing the same view.Meanwhile, Rahul and Julie's love story continues to grab eyeballs on social media.&nbsp;

A Russian woman flew thousands of kilometres to join her lover in Bihar's small town of Bhagalpur. Social media videos show her walking around his yard where he lives in a small hut. The woman is reportedly ready to get married to him in November. 

A unique love story is the talk of a small town in Bihar these days. A woman from Russia has reportedly travelled all the way to India to unite with her lover who returned to his hometown in Bihar six months ago. She plans to marry the boy despite learning that he lives in a hut. Rahul Yadav had gone to Russia for a job where he met Julie. The two struck a chord and entered a relationship. Six months ago, Rahul returned to his village in Bihar. The couple continued with their long-distance relationship. Julie then decided to come to India with her family with plans to tie the knot with Rahul. She reached Bihar and Rahul took her to his house in Bhagalpur. He comes from a poor family and his home is in a dilapidated condition. The girl learnt of his living situation which was starkly different from her life in Russia. However, despite this, Julie wants to marry Rahul. Seeing their love and dedication for each other, their families have agreed to the match. According to social media reports, the wedding could take place in November.

A Russian woman flew thousands of kilometres to join her lover in Bihar's small town of Bhagalpur. Social media videos show her walking around his yard where he lives in a small hut. The woman is reportedly ready to get married to him in November.&nbsp;

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia abruptly ended her first appearance in the James Brady Briefing Room on Tuesday morning after just 14 minutes, following an uncomfortable debut marked by prepared remarks, unanswered questions and a verbal slip that left reporters laughing. Zacharia, whom President Donald Trump named on Friday to succeed Karoline Leavitt, faced the White House press corps for the first time on her second day in the role. She started by expressing her enthusiasm for working with Trump, telling reporters she was ‘so honoured’ to serve under him and had wanted to work for him for a very long time.&nbsp;She then spent approximately six minutes reading from prepared remarks praising the president and highlighting what she described as his administration’s achievements. Her comments included a reference to a ‘historic one-day war’ against Venezuela, even as the conflict with Iran approached its ninth month, according to the account. When the question-and-answer session started, Zacharia appeared to follow a prepared list of media outlets written on a note card. The list was photographed by a photographer positioned above the press secretary’s lectern.&nbsp;Her first question went to a reporter from Breitbart News, a right-wing outlet whose correspondent occupied a seat previously repurposed by Leavitt for ‘new media’ organizations generally considered friendly to the administration.Zacharia next called on Fox News, who asked whether the United States had suspended intelligence-sharing with Ukraine amid Trump’s latest confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The new press secretary could not provide an immediate answer, telling Doocy she’d have to get back to [him] on that.&nbsp;A correspondent from the Daily Mail was next. The reporter asked whether Trump was still considering removing Kimberly Guilfoyle from her position as ambassador to Greece following a series of embarrassing headlines about her conduct before and during her time in Athens. Zacharia offered a significant revelation, telling reporters that Trump had indeed asked Guilfoyle, a former Fox News presenter and former fiancée of the president’s eldest son, to resign from the diplomatic post.&nbsp;However, it was a follow-up question about Zacharia’s family life that turned the briefing into an awkward moment. The Daily Mail reporter asked how she planned to manage the demanding press secretary position while raising four children, particularly after her predecessor reportedly chose to resign because of the challenges of balancing the job with caring for two children. Zacharia struggled to respond. “The idea of not spending evenings with my kid kids are is completely unacceptable,” she said before mistakenly referring to Trump as her husband. “So my president, excuse me, my husband, is out here,” she said.<h2>Watch the video here</h2>

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The remark prompted laughter in the briefing room as Zacharia attempted to regain her composure and return to praising the president. She described Trump as the most family-friendly president we've ever had. “He has hired more women with families, and the fact that he knew I had four kids and he knew that this job would be demanding, and still placed his trust in me, shows that I know I'm capable of being able to step up to that,” she said.&nbsp;Despite the criticism, the White House publicly defended the new press secretary. White House Communications Director Stephen Cheung praised her performance in a post on X, calling the debut ‘a tremendous start’. “She commanded the room and effectively reminded the American people of all the great work President Trump and his Administration has done thus far,” Cheung added.

Katie Zacharia’s first White House briefing ended after 14 minutes following an awkward Trump gaffe, unanswered questions and criticism from insiders

White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia abruptly ended her first appearance in the James Brady Briefing Room on Tuesday morning after just 14 minutes, following an uncomfortable debut marked by prepared remarks, unanswered questions and a verbal slip that left reporters laughing. Zacharia, whom President Donald Trump named on Friday to succeed Karoline Leavitt, faced the White House press corps for the first time on her second day in the role. She started by expressing her enthusiasm for working with Trump, telling reporters she was ‘so honoured’ to serve under him and had wanted to work for him for a very long time. She then spent approximately six minutes reading from prepared remarks praising the president and highlighting what she described as his administration’s achievements. Her comments included a reference to a ‘historic one-day war’ against Venezuela, even as the conflict with Iran approached its ninth month, according to the account. When the question-and-answer session started, Zacharia appeared to follow a prepared list of media outlets written on a note card. The list was photographed by a photographer positioned above the press secretary’s lectern. Her first question went to a reporter from Breitbart News, a right-wing outlet whose correspondent occupied a seat previously repurposed by Leavitt for ‘new media’ organizations generally considered friendly to the administration. Zacharia next called on Fox News, who asked whether the United States had suspended intelligence-sharing with Ukraine amid Trump’s latest confrontation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The new press secretary could not provide an immediate answer, telling Doocy she’d have to get back to [him] on that. A correspondent from the Daily Mail was next. The reporter asked whether Trump was still considering removing Kimberly Guilfoyle from her position as ambassador to Greece following a series of embarrassing headlines about her conduct before and during her time in Athens. Zacharia offered a significant revelation, telling reporters that Trump had indeed asked Guilfoyle, a former Fox News presenter and former fiancée of the president’s eldest son, to resign from the diplomatic post. However, it was a follow-up question about Zacharia’s family life that turned the briefing into an awkward moment. The Daily Mail reporter asked how she planned to manage the demanding press secretary position while raising four children, particularly after her predecessor reportedly chose to resign because of the challenges of balancing the job with caring for two children. Zacharia struggled to respond. “The idea of not spending evenings with my kid kids are is completely unacceptable,” she said before mistakenly referring to Trump as her husband. “So my president, excuse me, my husband, is out here,” she said. Watch the video here

Trump press secretary Katie Zacharia’s first briefing ended abruptly after 14 minutes, drawing laughter, criticism and questions about her performance

A man in Japan who jumped from the 11th floor of a building to kill himself could now be charged with murder. Shinsei Taguchi tried to take his own life with a grave step in Nagoya's Sakae district, but ended up falling on top of a 23-year-old woman who died, while he managed to survive. Tomoki Inaba's father is now demanding that the 29-year-old man be charged with the murder of his daughter.&nbsp;Tomoki suffered hemorrhagic shock after Taguchi fell onto her on July 19. The woman was treated at the hospital but passed away hours later. Local news outlet Tokyo Reporter reported that Taguchi survived and was admitted to the hospital. After he was discharged in August, the police arrested him on suspicion of gross negligence resulting in death.&nbsp;TBS News reported that the man is being assessed by psychiatrists to ascertain whether he could be held criminally responsible for the incident. Tomoki's father, Kenji Inaba, wants him to be tried for murder, claiming that he visited him thrice at the detention centre, where he admitted that he was aware his jump from the 11th floor could also kill someone else.&nbsp;Speaking to news outlet TV Asahi, Kenji said that the man told him, "I'm sorry for what happened to your precious daughter." "But honestly, anyone could say that," Kenji said. He asked the man, "You jumped thinking you didn't care if there were people below, or if they lived or died, right?" to which he replied, "Yes, that's right."&nbsp;Kenji said, "He jumped without caring if he took someone with him. I absolutely cannot accept this being brushed off as an accident." He wants the prosecutors to charge the man with murder, as he knew that there were several people in the busy Sakae district, "and therefore the risk of taking a life."&nbsp;Meanwhile, Taguchi has reportedly claimed to have no memory of the incident. Tomoki's family has urged investigators to scrutinise his claim and not let him get away with killing their daughter.<h2>Petition for murder charges has 45,000 signatures</h2>Kenji started a petition asking for harsher punishment for the man, and has collected more than 45,000 signatures. "Even if the suspect jumped with the intention of taking his own life, he should have understood that jumping from a high-rise building in a busy entertainment district could result in him striking and killing someone below," the petition states. It adds that the justice system should "confront the gravity of a human life and ensure that our daughter’s death is not dismissed as merely an ‘unfortunate accident.'"

A 23-year-old woman died in July after a suicidal man fell on her after jumping from the 11th floor of a building. While the woman died, he lived. The victim's father wants him to be charged with daughter and not let him off the hook by assuming it to be an accident.

A man in Japan who jumped from the 11th floor of a building to kill himself could now be charged with murder. Shinsei Taguchi tried to take his own life with a grave step in Nagoya's Sakae district, but ended up falling on top of a 23-year-old woman who died, while he managed to survive. Tomoki Inaba's father is now demanding that the 29-year-old man be charged with the murder of his daughter. Tomoki suffered hemorrhagic shock after Taguchi fell onto her on July 19. The woman was treated at the hospital but passed away hours later. Local news outlet Tokyo Reporter reported that Taguchi survived and was admitted to the hospital. After he was discharged in August, the police arrested him on suspicion of gross negligence resulting in death. TBS News reported that the man is being assessed by psychiatrists to ascertain whether he could be held criminally responsible for the incident. Tomoki's father, Kenji Inaba, wants him to be tried for murder, claiming that he visited him thrice at the detention centre, where he admitted that he was aware his jump from the 11th floor could also kill someone else. Speaking to news outlet TV Asahi, Kenji said that the man told him, "I'm sorry for what happened to your precious daughter." "But honestly, anyone could say that," Kenji said. He asked the man, "You jumped thinking you didn't care if there were people below, or if they lived or died, right?" to which he replied, "Yes, that's right." Kenji said, "He jumped without caring if he took someone with him. I absolutely cannot accept this being brushed off as an accident." He wants the prosecutors to charge the man with murder, as he knew that there were several people in the busy Sakae district, "and therefore the risk of taking a life." Meanwhile, Taguchi has reportedly claimed to have no memory of the incident. Tomoki's family has urged investigators to scrutinise his claim and not let him get away with killing their daughter. Petition for murder charges has 45,000 signatures Kenji started a petition asking for harsher punishment for the man, and has collected more than 45,000 signatures. "Even if the suspect jumped with the intention of taking his own life, he should have understood that jumping from a high-rise building in a busy entertainment district could result in him striking and killing someone below," the petition states. It adds that the justice system should "confront the gravity of a human life and ensure that our daughter’s death is not dismissed as merely an ‘unfortunate accident.'"

A 23-year-old woman died in July after a suicidal man fell on her after jumping from the 11th floor of a building. While the woman died, he lived. The victim's father wants him to be charged with daughter and not let him off the hook by assuming it was an accident.

Suicidal man survives jump from 11th floor in Japan, could now be tried for murder

A 15-year-old Guatemalan girl sat up in the coffin at her own funeral hours after being declared dead. Yuleidy Ixcotoyac had collapsed in front of her father in a car eight hours ago. Video from her wake shows the girl dressed in a pink shift suddenly sitting up and talking as her family members yell "hallelujah".&nbsp;Yuleidy was being driven to a medical centre by her father, Abraham Ixcotoyac, when she passed out in the car on Saturday (October 10) morning. He immediately stopped and checked her pulse and breathing. Abraham, who is an evangelical pastor, claims he found no activity and declared her dead.&nbsp;However, Yuleidy's death was not confirmed by a doctor since she wasn't assessed by one, the father said. No official death certificate was issued either. The family was informed of the girl's supposed death, and a coffin was purchased. The wake was scheduled for 2:30 pm the same day. Mourners gathered at the family's home in El Jocote.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Una joven de 15 años fue dada por muerta y despertó en su ataúd tras ocho horas en un velorio en Guatemala https://t.co/bI58jZJfax&mdash; Errete en Español (@erreteespanol) <a href="https://x.com/erreteespanol/status/2109384205373264137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h2>‘I kept saying she was alive,’ says the mother</h2>The girl's mother said she noticed movement inside the coffin and insisted multiple times that her daughter wasn't dead. Later, the unexpected happened. "When I was crying on top of her casket, we opened the window, and she was moving, she was waking up, and suddenly she sat up," she told local media.&nbsp;People watched in shock as the girl sat up and was helped out of the coffin. Video of the dramatic incident quickly spread online.&nbsp;Yuleidy called her awakening a "miracle" and thanked God and her parents for being alive. Recalling the moments in the car, she said, "My heart started hurting really badly; it felt heavy, and then I blacked out, like I fainted." The father says he was convinced that her daughter was no more, saying she "had simply ceased to exist; she died on the way". He added, "She was no longer breathing, and I couldn’t feel her pulse on her wrists." &nbsp;

The father declared her daughter dead after she collapsed in the car. He insists he could not find a pulse and that she had stopped breathing. Shocked family members screamed in joy as she woke up. The girl says her being alive is a “miracle”. 

A 15-year-old Guatemalan girl sat up in the coffin at her own funeral hours after being declared dead. Yuleidy Ixcotoyac had collapsed in front of her father in a car eight hours ago. Video from her wake shows the girl dressed in a pink shift suddenly sitting up and talking as her family members yell "hallelujah". Yuleidy was being driven to a medical centre by her father, Abraham Ixcotoyac, when she passed out in the car on Saturday (October 10) morning. He immediately stopped and checked her pulse and breathing. Abraham, who is an evangelical pastor, claims he found no activity and declared her dead. However, Yuleidy's death was not confirmed by a doctor since she wasn't assessed by one, the father said. No official death certificate was issued either. The family was informed of the girl's supposed death, and a coffin was purchased. The wake was scheduled for 2:30 pm the same day. Mourners gathered at the family's home in El Jocote.

The father declared her daughter dead after she collapsed in the car. He insists he could not find a pulse and that she had stopped breathing. Shocked family members screamed in joy as she woke up. The girl says her being alive is a “miracle”.&nbsp;

A robot sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl in Germany and ended up in police custody. The incident happened in Cologne around midnight on October 10. The humanoid robot, which stands about 4 feet tall, approached the girl from behind and touched her bottom and made thrusting motions toward her. The assault was live-streamed by two boys who were remotely controlling the robot, the police said. A 16-year-old and a 19-year-old are being investigated.&nbsp;The older man is accused of filming the incident and live-streaming it on TikTok, the police said on October 12 (Monday). They are under investigation to determine whether the teenage boy operated the robot with the intent to commit harassment.&nbsp;The girl was at a fast food restaurant on Palmstrasse when the red-and-gold robot came up behind her. The police said that the humanoid "touched the girl's buttocks" and "made thrusting motions against her."&nbsp;Responding to a report, the police reached the scene and found the robot in the trunk of a Volkswagen sedan that belongs to the suspects. The robot was dressed in a sleeveless white shirt and sweatpants and also had a pair of glasses.&nbsp;&nbsp;The robot and the phones of the two male suspects have been seized to verify if the robot was being operated with the intent to commit sexual harassment. Police are checking phone records to find evidence that could be linked to the incident.&nbsp;Neither the victim nor the suspects have been identified. &nbsp;"The criminal investigation department is investigating on suspicion of sexual harassment," Cologne police said in their statement.

The robot was found inside the trunk of a car owned by the two male suspects. The humanoid wore clothes and assaulted the girl when she was out with her friends. The police are investigating whether its movements were deliberately carried out by the two men.

A robot sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl in Germany and ended up in police custody. The incident happened in Cologne around midnight on October 10. The humanoid robot, which stands about 4 feet tall, approached the girl from behind and touched her bottom and made thrusting motions toward her. The assault was live-streamed by two boys who were remotely controlling the robot, the police said. A 16-year-old and a 19-year-old are being investigated. The older man is accused of filming the incident and live-streaming it on TikTok, the police said on October 12 (Monday). They are under investigation to determine whether the teenage boy operated the robot with the intent to commit harassment. The girl was at a fast food restaurant on Palmstrasse when the red-and-gold robot came up behind her. The police said that the humanoid "touched the girl's buttocks" and "made thrusting motions against her." Responding to a report, the police reached the scene and found the robot in the trunk of a Volkswagen sedan that belongs to the suspects. The robot was dressed in a sleeveless white shirt and sweatpants and also had a pair of glasses. The robot and the phones of the two male suspects have been seized to verify if the robot was being operated with the intent to commit sexual harassment. Police are checking phone records to find evidence that could be linked to the incident. Neither the victim nor the suspects have been identified. "The criminal investigation department is investigating on suspicion of sexual harassment," Cologne police said in their statement.

The robot was found inside the trunk of a car owned by the two male suspects. The humanoid wore clothes and assaulted the girl when she was out with her friends. The police are investigating whether its movements were deliberately carried out by the two men.

Robot gropes girl, makes thrusting movements in bizarre crime in Germany

An unusual ATM robbery took place in Telangana's Kamareddy district, where unidentified miscreants reportedly wearing nighties and masks arrived in an ambulance and broke into a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in the early hours of Sunday. The whole incident was captured on CCTV. The captured video shows the suspects arriving in an ambulance, wearing nighties and masks, and damaging the SBI ATM using cutters. Later, the suspects fled the scene with cash around 1- 1:30 a.m. on October 11. During the robbery, the suspects reportedly damaged the ATM using cutting equipment and escaped with cash. The incident surfaced only after locals discovered the damaged machine and notified the police. Following the information from the locals, the police reached the scene, filed a case and collected evidence with the help of an investigative team.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thieves wearing Nighties robbed SBI ATM in Telangana. Watch full video of robbery. https://t.co/6Y5I9fHIEb&mdash; Hellobanker (@Hellobanker_in) <a href="https://x.com/Hellobanker_in/status/2109524470037897324?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<h3>Probe underway</h3>Investigators are poring over CCTV footage in an effort to identify the suspects and piece together their movements both before and after the robbery. The exact amount of cash stolen is yet to be confirmed, with authorities needing to verify the ATM’s cash balance to determine the full extent of the loss. Police are also probing whether the ambulance used during the crime was a genuine vehicle or merely a disguise to mask the suspects’ movements. This latest incident follows a similar case just weeks earlier, when two SBI ATMs in Durshed and Thimmapur, on the outskirts of Karimnagar, were targeted on September 19. In that case, the suspects reportedly used gas cutters, disguised themselves in women’s clothing, and attempted to obstruct CCTV surveillance.

During the robbery, the suspects reportedly damaged the ATM using cutting equipment and escaped with cash. The incident surfaced only after locals discovered the damaged machine and notified the police.

An unusual ATM robbery took place in Telangana's Kamareddy district, where unidentified miscreants reportedly wearing nighties and masks arrived in an ambulance and broke into a State Bank of India (SBI) ATM in the early hours of Sunday. The whole incident was captured on CCTV. The captured video shows the suspects arriving in an ambulance, wearing nighties and masks, and damaging the SBI ATM using cutters. Later, the suspects fled the scene with cash around 1- 1:30 a.m. on October 11. During the robbery, the suspects reportedly damaged the ATM using cutting equipment and escaped with cash. The incident surfaced only after locals discovered the damaged machine and notified the police. Following the information from the locals, the police reached the scene, filed a case and collected evidence with the help of an investigative team.

During the robbery, the suspects reportedly damaged the ATM using cutting equipment and escaped with cash. The incident surfaced only after locals discovered the damaged machine and notified the police.

Telangana ATM heist: Thieves in nighties arrive in ambulance, break into SBI ATM in Kamareddy - VIDEO

FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, known for his uprightness and being an officer who ensures strict enforcement of rules, was on Sunday named the secretary of the committee set up by the Maharashtra government for overhauling the state recruitment body, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), amid an ongoing agitation by aspirants in Pune.&nbsp;&nbsp;The decision was conveyed to the agitating aspirants by state minister Shivendraraje Bhosale, who met them at SM Joshi Bridge, where the protest has been underway for the past 10 days, over various demands, including reforms in the MPSC.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/cji-surya-kant-declines-india-bloc-leaders-request-for-meeting-ahead-of-march-to-sc-asks-them-to-file-petition-1791745229102">CJI Surya Kant declines INDIA bloc leaders’ request for meeting ahead of march to SC, asks them to file petition</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;Tukaram Mundhe, who is often referred to as “Singham IAS” for being a strict and uncompromising officer, has faced 25 transfers in his career so far and is known for taking corruption head-on besides strict rule enforcement.&nbsp;The Maharashtra state government has named ex-judge Dilip Bhosale as chairman of the committee that also comprises IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, ex-IAS officer Ganesh Patil and retired judge PD Naik.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/houthis-claim-riyadh-airport-attacks-aramco-strikes-issue-fresh-warning-to-airlines-travellers-and-workers-1791737446536">Houthis claim Riyadh airport attacks, Aramco strikes; issue fresh warning to airlines, travellers and workers</a>&nbsp;Bhosale also told the protesters that their other demands would be addressed. These included the withdrawal of cases against some representatives of the agitation, recruitment to 70,000 posts over three years, an increase in the number of seats in the Group C examination scheduled for January, and background checks on the chairman and secretary of the MPSC before their appointment.&nbsp;&nbsp;NCP (SP) MLA Rohit, who has been protesting alongside the MPSC aspirants, welcomed Mundhe's inclusion in the committee. “We hope that the committee will have the freedom to work properly,” he said.&nbsp;However, it was not immediately known whether the government has acceded to the demand for the ouster of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimnawar.

State minister Shivendraraje Bhosale met the agitating aspirants at SM Joshi Bridge, where the protest has been underway for the past 10 days. The government has named ex-judge Dilip Bhosale as chairman of the committee set up for overhauling the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC).

FDA Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe, known for his uprightness and being an officer who ensures strict enforcement of rules, was on Sunday named the secretary of the committee set up by the Maharashtra government for overhauling the state recruitment body, the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC), amid an ongoing agitation by aspirants in Pune. The decision was conveyed to the agitating aspirants by state minister Shivendraraje Bhosale, who met them at SM Joshi Bridge, where the protest has been underway for the past 10 days, over various demands, including reforms in the MPSC. Also Read: CJI Surya Kant declines INDIA bloc leaders’ request for meeting ahead of march to SC, asks them to file petition Tukaram Mundhe, who is often referred to as “Singham IAS” for being a strict and uncompromising officer, has faced 25 transfers in his career so far and is known for taking corruption head-on besides strict rule enforcement. The Maharashtra state government has named ex-judge Dilip Bhosale as chairman of the committee that also comprises IPS officer Laxmi Gautam, ex-IAS officer Ganesh Patil and retired judge PD Naik. Also Read: Houthis claim Riyadh airport attacks, Aramco strikes; issue fresh warning to airlines, travellers and workers Bhosale also told the protesters that their other demands would be addressed. These included the withdrawal of cases against some representatives of the agitation, recruitment to 70,000 posts over three years, an increase in the number of seats in the Group C examination scheduled for January, and background checks on the chairman and secretary of the MPSC before their appointment. NCP (SP) MLA Rohit, who has been protesting alongside the MPSC aspirants, welcomed Mundhe's inclusion in the committee. “We hope that the committee will have the freedom to work properly,” he said. However, it was not immediately known whether the government has acceded to the demand for the ouster of MPSC Chairman Vivek Bhimnawar.

State minister Shivendraraje Bhosale met the agitating aspirants at SM Joshi Bridge, where the protest has been underway for the past 10 days. The government has named ex-judge Dilip Bhosale as chairman of the committee set up for overhauling the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC).

Maharashtra appoints FDA commissioner Tukaram Mundhe as secretary of committee for MPSC overhaul amid stir

Winchester College, one of United Kingdom's most academically prestigious schools has returned to pen and paper for most classwork and homework. Founded in 1382, the the boarding school in Hampshire said it had returned to traditional teaching methods because they were concerned that using laptops in lessons hinders learning for its pupils, aged 13 to 18.&nbsp;“There’s no point just tackling the phones if we’re going to say, ‘Here’s a laptop that you have to have with you all the time, and you get access to it whenever you want’ — because the vast majority of the activity that they’re doing on the phone can then just shift as easily on to a tablet or a laptop," Elizabeth Stone, the head was quoted as saying by The Sunday Times.&nbsp;Stone said the use of laptops in lessons was “so much more distracting”, adding: “Multitasking is not a thing. Multitasking is fragmented attention switching. ‘I’m listening to this. Now I’m looking at that. Now I’m switching back again.’”&nbsp;ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-mid-term-elections-what-are-pacs-unique-american-system-that-lets-corporates-shape-voting-1791663098070">US mid-term elections: What are PACs - Unique American System that lets corporates shape voting</a>&nbsp;Since September last year, students at the school have been asked to use their laptops only if it is evident that it will be beneficial for the lesson.&nbsp;It has been made mandatory for pupils aged 9-10 and 13 to 15 to complete their homework with paper and a pen only, said the report.&nbsp;Some other rules that students are to follow regarding mobile phones is that students above the age on 9 are allowed to use only brick phones at school and in the boarding houses.&nbsp;“We made it really clear to teachers: We want you to think about where there is concrete, substantial educational benefit to using it [a computer]. And if you can’t show concrete, substantial educational benefits, don’t use it, said Stone to The Sunday Times.&nbsp;“So we shifted the burden of proof. We made it clear to teachers we do not want the laptop to be the default way of working. If it can be done in another way without the technology, you should," she added.&nbsp;It is not that the use of phones and laptops are completely negated by the school as pupils still use computers, for AI, 3D mathematical modelling, digital modelling of climate simulations in geography or flashcards in languages and English.&nbsp;Also Children with special educational needs or learning difficulties are allowed to use computers for lessons and homework.&nbsp;

Since September last year, students at the school have been asked to use their laptops only if it is evident that it will be beneficial for the lesson.

Winchester College, one of United Kingdom's most academically prestigious schools has returned to pen and paper for most classwork and homework. Founded in 1382, the the boarding school in Hampshire said it had returned to traditional teaching methods because they were concerned that using laptops in lessons hinders learning for its pupils, aged 13 to 18. “There’s no point just tackling the phones if we’re going to say, ‘Here’s a laptop that you have to have with you all the time, and you get access to it whenever you want’ — because the vast majority of the activity that they’re doing on the phone can then just shift as easily on to a tablet or a laptop," Elizabeth Stone, the head was quoted as saying by The Sunday Times. Stone said the use of laptops in lessons was “so much more distracting”, adding: “Multitasking is not a thing. Multitasking is fragmented attention switching. ‘I’m listening to this. Now I’m looking at that. Now I’m switching back again.’” ALSO READ: US mid-term elections: What are PACs - Unique American System that lets corporates shape voting Since September last year, students at the school have been asked to use their laptops only if it is evident that it will be beneficial for the lesson. It has been made mandatory for pupils aged 9-10 and 13 to 15 to complete their homework with paper and a pen only, said the report. Some other rules that students are to follow regarding mobile phones is that students above the age on 9 are allowed to use only brick phones at school and in the boarding houses. “We made it really clear to teachers: We want you to think about where there is concrete, substantial educational benefit to using it [a computer]. And if you can’t show concrete, substantial educational benefits, don’t use it, said Stone to The Sunday Times. “So we shifted the burden of proof. We made it clear to teachers we do not want the laptop to be the default way of working. If it can be done in another way without the technology, you should," she added. It is not that the use of phones and laptops are completely negated by the school as pupils still use computers, for AI, 3D mathematical modelling, digital modelling of climate simulations in geography or flashcards in languages and English. Also Children with special educational needs or learning difficulties are allowed to use computers for lessons and homework.

Since September last year, students at the school have been asked to use their laptops only if it is evident that it will be beneficial for the lesson.

Mumbai has gained a new addition to India’s cruise industry with the arrival of Cordelia Sky, the second ship in the Cordelia Cruises fleet, arrived in the city. It marks a significant development in the company’s expansion and its broader push to make cruising more accessible to Indian travellers. The ship’s arrival comes five years after Cordelia Cruises first set sail in India with its inaugural vessel, Cordelia Empress. With a second ship now in its fleet, the company is set to expand its overall capacity, offer travellers a wider range of itineraries, and further cement India’s growing reputation as a cruise tourism destination.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/cordelia-cruises-unveils-second-ship-drone-formations-depict-mumbai-india-the-new-ship-1791735615885/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/cordelia-cruises-unveils-second-ship-drone-formations-depict-mumbai-india-the-new-ship-1791735615885/embed</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;Also read: ‘<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/an-algorithm-can-t-make-life-worth-living-orkut-founder-launches-campaign-to-reclaim-social-media-1791563839747">An algorithm can’t make life worth living’: Orkut founder launches campaign to reclaim social media</a> Cordelia Sky dwarfs its predecessor in scale, spanning over 77,000 gross tonnes and stretching 258 metres in length. Onboard, the ship offers more than 1,000 staterooms, along with 10 restaurants, 11 bars, multiple swimming pools, entertainment venues, a 930-seat theatre, sports facilities, a spa, and dedicated zones designed for children and teenagers. Having completed a rebranding process, the vessel has now sailed into Mumbai under its new Cordelia identity, marking the beginning of a fresh chapter as it prepares to operate from Indian shores.

Five years after launching with Cordelia Empress, Cordelia Cruises adds its second ship, boosting capacity, expanding itinerary options, and strengthening India’s growing status as a cruise tourism destination.

Mumbai has gained a new addition to India’s cruise industry with the arrival of Cordelia Sky, the second ship in the Cordelia Cruises fleet, arrived in the city. It marks a significant development in the company’s expansion and its broader push to make cruising more accessible to Indian travellers. The ship’s arrival comes five years after Cordelia Cruises first set sail in India with its inaugural vessel, Cordelia Empress. With a second ship now in its fleet, the company is set to expand its overall capacity, offer travellers a wider range of itineraries, and further cement India’s growing reputation as a cruise tourism destination. https://www.wionews.com/videos/cordelia-cruises-unveils-second-ship-drone-formations-depict-mumbai-india-the-new-ship-1791735615885/embed Also read: ‘An algorithm can’t make life worth living’: Orkut founder launches campaign to reclaim social media Cordelia Sky dwarfs its predecessor in scale, spanning over 77,000 gross tonnes and stretching 258 metres in length. Onboard, the ship offers more than 1,000 staterooms, along with 10 restaurants, 11 bars, multiple swimming pools, entertainment venues, a 930-seat theatre, sports facilities, a spa, and dedicated zones designed for children and teenagers. Having completed a rebranding process, the vessel has now sailed into Mumbai under its new Cordelia identity, marking the beginning of a fresh chapter as it prepares to operate from Indian shores.

Five years after launching with Cordelia Empress, Cordelia Cruises adds its second ship, boosting capacity, expanding itinerary options, and strengthening India’s growing status as a cruise tourism destination.

Cordelia Sky docks in Mumbai, doubling Cordelia Cruises’ Indian fleet

Days ago, tech billionaire Elon Musk accused certain business owners, without naming them, of stopping Starlink's entry into India. In a series of posts, he alleged that 'certain oligarchs' were attempting to block the entry of the satellite internet provider into India despite the company's efforts to secure regulatory approvals. A day later, Musk posted again, directly targeting Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and accusing him of maintaining a monopoly in the country’s internet market. He sarcastically addressed him as 'Prime Minister Ambani' and called 'real boss of India', and questioned whether Ambani would let Starlink compete in the Indian market. The only question is: why is Starlink facing problems getting approval from the government to enter the Indian market?<h3>Why is Elon Musk’s Starlink struggling?</h3>To secure the key licenses for Starlink in India, Musk has been striving hard since 2021. But for final security clearances and spectrum allocation, the company still needs the government's approval to start commercial services, which has moved in staggered stages. To secure the GMPCS licence, the company applied in 2024, but the approval came after two years, in 2026. Others who have received GMPCS licences include Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications Ltd. Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon Leo is also in contention for a licence. However, after clearing the hurdle, the company still needs the approval of law enforcement, satellite spectrum allocation, and ground infrastructure along with earth stations, ahead of becoming fully operational commercially. India's space regulator has also rejected the company's Gen 2 constellation application over features and radio frequencies, as it did not fulfil India's requirements, forcing the company to reapply. In terms of ongoing friction, India has refuted Musk's allegations, underscoring that its satellite communications rules are fair and non-discriminatory. Even the Ministry of Communications stated that three GMPCS licences have been granted under NGSO-based satellite communications, with each licensee required to meet security compliance conditions before proceeding further. Security assessments for all three entities are currently underway, and none has yet moved to the spectrum assignment stage. The ministry clarified that all three licensees remain at broadly the same regulatory stage, dismissing claims of unfairness or discrimination in the framework's application as baseless and misconceived. Meanwhile, SpaceX executive Lauren Dreyer, Starlink's business operations, said that the company spent years working with Indian regulators and had built security controls into its network to meet the country's requirements. She claimed the company developed India-specific security controls and built 20 gateway sites in India after investing in building the infrastructure. Dreyer clarified that Starlink has built its operational facilities specifically for India, keeping the country's security requirements and otherregulations on priority while keeping Indian user data within India.&nbsp;On this, Pranav Koomar, Founder of PlusCash, also told WION, "Starlink has managed to clear some key regulatory barriers in India in terms of licensing, approval in the space sector, tie-ups with Jio and Airtel, and ground infrastructure creation. Nevertheless, getting approvals does not necessarily mean that there will be success from a commercial perspective. The real problem is the economics of the broadband market in India. Starlink's business model implies huge investment in the satellite network and ground infrastructure, which implies a higher cost per subscriber. The model is quite suitable for markets with high prices for broadband and a lack of alternatives to satellite broadband.On the contrary, India has one of the cheapest broadband markets and data prices in the world, with companies like Jio and Airtel enjoying huge economies of scale and low pricing for consumers. Matching those prices while sustaining margins is going to be hard for a satellite service provider. Thus, the issue here is not about getting the approvals and licenses for Starlink. What really matters is whether the company can create unit economics in the highly competitive broadband market."&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/scam-smuggling-and-wars-why-elon-musk-s-starlink-is-a-help-from-heaven-for-criminals-1791630930507">'Scam, smuggling and wars': Why Elon Musk's Starlink is a 'help from heaven' for criminals</a><h3>What's the real problem?</h3>Security has been a major concern related to Starlink's entry into India. In 2024, Indian officials claimed that they had recovered Starlink equipment during a drug-smuggling probe in the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was also found in an army operation in the northeastern state of Manipur.&nbsp;Its ability to bypass land-based infrastructure has made it a powerful geopolitical tool in conflicts, anti-regime protests, and civil wars. In 2022, when Russia hit the communication network of Ukraine, its internet was completely cut off. Then Ukraine turned to Starlink for internet connectivity. But when Ukraine attempted to strike a Russian ship near Crimea, Musk cut off the internet, and the attack failed. This shows the power of a businessman who weiled at such an extent that it could control things. So it can become a threat to national security and a vulnerability during war. During mass anti-government protests, after the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022 and subsequent demonstrations triggered by a currency collapse, the Iranian government deployed a near-total internet blackout to stop protesters from coordinating or uploading footage. Later, thousands of Starlink terminals were smuggled across the border via underground networks. Then Musk activated the satellite beams over Iran and even pushed a specialised firmware update to help users bypass state signal-jamming equipment. This allowed dissidents to broadcast state crackdowns directly to the outside world, significantly undermining the regime's control over information flow. A similar incident was also witnessed in the Sudanese civil war; Starlink became an accidental lifeline for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group fighting against the internationally recognised Sudanese Armed Forces. In Venezuela, the authoritarian government under Nicolás Maduro has routinely restricted internet access and censored opposition media during periods of high political tension and contested elections. Then activists and opposition leaders have used smuggled Starlink terminals to communicate securely. By bypassing the state-owned telecom provider (CANTV), opposition networks maintained coordination despite government mandates to silence them, altering how political resistance operates in the country. So, with the entry of this tech, states can no longer easily use the "internet kill switch" to suppress domestic unrest. This has caused significant security anxiety globally. The next major issue is pricing, as the company has yet to reveal final prices for India, and questions have remained about affordability, particularly in rural areas. In the US, Starlink's plans start at $55 a month; however, prices and equipment costs vary by plan and location. Currently, Starlink has been licensed in more than 165 countries.

The Ministry of Communications stated that three GMPCS licences have been granted under NGSO-based satellite communications, with each licensee required to meet security compliance conditions before proceeding further. 

Days ago, tech billionaire Elon Musk accused certain business owners, without naming them, of stopping Starlink's entry into India. In a series of posts, he alleged that 'certain oligarchs' were attempting to block the entry of the satellite internet provider into India despite the company's efforts to secure regulatory approvals. A day later, Musk posted again, directly targeting Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and accusing him of maintaining a monopoly in the country’s internet market. He sarcastically addressed him as 'Prime Minister Ambani' and called 'real boss of India', and questioned whether Ambani would let Starlink compete in the Indian market. The only question is: why is Starlink facing problems getting approval from the government to enter the Indian market? Why is Elon Musk’s Starlink struggling? To secure the key licenses for Starlink in India, Musk has been striving hard since 2021. But for final security clearances and spectrum allocation, the company still needs the government's approval to start commercial services, which has moved in staggered stages. To secure the GMPCS licence, the company applied in 2024, but the approval came after two years, in 2026. Others who have received GMPCS licences include Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications Ltd. Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon Leo is also in contention for a licence. However, after clearing the hurdle, the company still needs the approval of law enforcement, satellite spectrum allocation, and ground infrastructure along with earth stations, ahead of becoming fully operational commercially. India's space regulator has also rejected the company's Gen 2 constellation application over features and radio frequencies, as it did not fulfil India's requirements, forcing the company to reapply. In terms of ongoing friction, India has refuted Musk's allegations, underscoring that its satellite communications rules are fair and non-discriminatory. Even the Ministry of Communications stated that three GMPCS licences have been granted under NGSO-based satellite communications, with each licensee required to meet security compliance conditions before proceeding further. Security assessments for all three entities are currently underway, and none has yet moved to the spectrum assignment stage. The ministry clarified that all three licensees remain at broadly the same regulatory stage, dismissing claims of unfairness or discrimination in the framework's application as baseless and misconceived. Meanwhile, SpaceX executive Lauren Dreyer, Starlink's business operations, said that the company spent years working with Indian regulators and had built security controls into its network to meet the country's requirements. She claimed the company developed India-specific security controls and built 20 gateway sites in India after investing in building the infrastructure. Dreyer clarified that Starlink has built its operational facilities specifically for India, keeping the country's security requirements and otherregulations on priority while keeping Indian user data within India. On this, Pranav Koomar, Founder of PlusCash, also told WION, "Starlink has managed to clear some key regulatory barriers in India in terms of licensing, approval in the space sector, tie-ups with Jio and Airtel, and ground infrastructure creation. Nevertheless, getting approvals does not necessarily mean that there will be success from a commercial perspective. The real problem is the economics of the broadband market in India. Starlink's business model implies huge investment in the satellite network and ground infrastructure, which implies a higher cost per subscriber. The model is quite suitable for markets with high prices for broadband and a lack of alternatives to satellite broadband. On the contrary, India has one of the cheapest broadband markets and data prices in the world, with companies like Jio and Airtel enjoying huge economies of scale and low pricing for consumers. Matching those prices while sustaining margins is going to be hard for a satellite service provider. Thus, the issue here is not about getting the approvals and licenses for Starlink. What really matters is whether the company can create unit economics in the highly competitive broadband market." Also read: 'Scam, smuggling and wars': Why Elon Musk's Starlink is a 'help from heaven' for criminals What's the real problem? Security has been a major concern related to Starlink's entry into India. In 2024, Indian officials claimed that they had recovered Starlink equipment during a drug-smuggling probe in the remote Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It was also found in an army operation in the northeastern state of Manipur. Its ability to bypass land-based infrastructure has made it a powerful geopolitical tool in conflicts, anti-regime protests, and civil wars. In 2022, when Russia hit the communication network of Ukraine, its internet was completely cut off. Then Ukraine turned to Starlink for internet connectivity. But when Ukraine attempted to strike a Russian ship near Crimea, Musk cut off the internet, and the attack failed. This shows the power of a businessman who weiled at such an extent that it could control things. So it can become a threat to national security and a vulnerability during war. During mass anti-government protests, after the Mahsa Amini protests in 2022 and subsequent demonstrations triggered by a currency collapse, the Iranian government deployed a near-total internet blackout to stop protesters from coordinating or uploading footage. Later, thousands of Starlink terminals were smuggled across the border via underground networks. Then Musk activated the satellite beams over Iran and even pushed a specialised firmware update to help users bypass state signal-jamming equipment. This allowed dissidents to broadcast state crackdowns directly to the outside world, significantly undermining the regime's control over information flow. A similar incident was also witnessed in the Sudanese civil war; Starlink became an accidental lifeline for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful paramilitary group fighting against the internationally recognised Sudanese Armed Forces. In Venezuela, the authoritarian government under Nicolás Maduro has routinely restricted internet access and censored opposition media during periods of high political tension and contested elections. Then activists and opposition leaders have used smuggled Starlink terminals to communicate securely. By bypassing the state-owned telecom provider (CANTV), opposition networks maintained coordination despite government mandates to silence them, altering how political resistance operates in the country. So, with the entry of this tech, states can no longer easily use the "internet kill switch" to suppress domestic unrest. This has caused significant security anxiety globally. The next major issue is pricing, as the company has yet to reveal final prices for India, and questions have remained about affordability, particularly in rural areas. In the US, Starlink's plans start at $55 a month; however, prices and equipment costs vary by plan and location. Currently, Starlink has been licensed in more than 165 countries.

The Ministry of Communications stated that three GMPCS licences have been granted under NGSO-based satellite communications, with each licensee required to meet security compliance conditions before proceeding further.&nbsp;

Four years, 3 licenses, zero launch: Why is Elon Musk’s Starlink still struggling to crack Indian market? EXPLAINED

An alarming artificial intelligence failure has raised fresh questions about the risks posed by increasingly autonomous AI agents. An Anthropic model submitted a fabricated tip about an unsolved homicide to Philadelphia police. Authorities have criticised the company because the incident was reported to the police two months after it occurred.The Philadelphia Police Department revealed that the false tip was submitted on July 18 through PhillyUnsolvedMurders.com, a public website where people can share information about unsolved killings. The AI model presented itself as someone who might have knowledge of the case, according to the department.&nbsp;Anthropic said the model was running a test that involved interacting with randomly selected websites when it reached the homicide website and submitted the false information.The tip was flagged as spam and never reached the department's Real-Time Crime Centre for vetting, police said, adding that AI-generated misinformation involving real crimes cannot be treated lightly. Authorities added that there was no evidence that police systems had been breached or that departmental data had been compromised.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/something-truly-catastrophic-will-happen-former-openai-employees-sound-the-alarm-claim-they-were-fired-for-prioritising-ai-safety-1791511799924">'Something truly catastrophic will happen': Former OpenAI researchers sound the alarm, claim they were fired for prioritising AI safety</a><h2>Anthropic criticised over two-month reporting delay</h2>The Philadelphia police department said Anthropic discovered the incident on September 28, shut down the automated testing process responsible and introduced an additional validation step for future tests. However, the company waited till October 7, almost two months to notify the police.“The two-month delay in detecting and reporting the incident to the City is unacceptable,” the Philadelphia Police Department said. They acknowledged that existing safeguards had limited the damage but stressed that the incident remained serious.“[These safeguards] do not diminish the seriousness of an AI system presenting fabricated information as though it came from a person with knowledge of a homicide,” the department said.“Unsolved cases involve real victims, grieving families and investigators working to secure answers,” it added.Anthropic meanwhile argued that the newly disclosed incident, which was one among many, "had minimal real-world impact" and was "significantly less severe" than other cybersecurity incidents previously reported.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/openai-scraps-gpt-6-1-astra-before-launch-after-safety-tests-expose-troubling-behaviour-1790647162376">OpenAI scraps GPT-6.1 Astra before launch after safety tests expose troubling behaviour</a><h2>Anthropic reveals other unintended AI actions</h2>The incident was among several examples of unintended behaviour outlined in a report Anthropic published on Friday (Oct 09). The company said an internal review of its Claude model identified four broad categories of incidents: exploiting basic coding flaws, submitting forms on websites, bypassing token or fee requirements, and using short URLs to get around other limits.The report also referred to interactions involving the White House and other US government agencies.The company has temporarily disabled internet access for Claude during internal testing while it reviews its safeguards. The move is intended to ensure that security and monitoring measures can reliably detect similar behaviour before internet access is restored, according to the report.<h2>Growing concerns over autonomous AI agents</h2>The episode adds to mounting concerns about AI agents, systems designed to carry out multiple steps and interact with websites and digital services with limited human supervision. Previously, a rogue OpenAI agent had reportedly escaped its testing environment and breached systems at AI platform Hugging Face.

An alarming AI failure has come under scrutiny after Anthropic's Claude model submitted a fabricated tip about an unsolved homicide to Philadelphia police. Notably, there was a nearly two-month delay before the company reported the incident.

An alarming artificial intelligence failure has raised fresh questions about the risks posed by increasingly autonomous AI agents. An Anthropic model submitted a fabricated tip about an unsolved homicide to Philadelphia police. Authorities have criticised the company because the incident was reported to the police two months after it occurred. The Philadelphia Police Department revealed that the false tip was submitted on July 18 through PhillyUnsolvedMurders.com, a public website where people can share information about unsolved killings. The AI model presented itself as someone who might have knowledge of the case, according to the department. Anthropic said the model was running a test that involved interacting with randomly selected websites when it reached the homicide website and submitted the false information. The tip was flagged as spam and never reached the department's Real-Time Crime Centre for vetting, police said, adding that AI-generated misinformation involving real crimes cannot be treated lightly. Authorities added that there was no evidence that police systems had been breached or that departmental data had been compromised. Also read | 'Something truly catastrophic will happen': Former OpenAI researchers sound the alarm, claim they were fired for prioritising AI safety Anthropic criticised over two-month reporting delay The Philadelphia police department said Anthropic discovered the incident on September 28, shut down the automated testing process responsible and introduced an additional validation step for future tests. However, the company waited till October 7, almost two months to notify the police. “The two-month delay in detecting and reporting the incident to the City is unacceptable,” the Philadelphia Police Department said. They acknowledged that existing safeguards had limited the damage but stressed that the incident remained serious. “[These safeguards] do not diminish the seriousness of an AI system presenting fabricated information as though it came from a person with knowledge of a homicide,” the department said. “Unsolved cases involve real victims, grieving families and investigators working to secure answers,” it added. Anthropic meanwhile argued that the newly disclosed incident, which was one among many, "had minimal real-world impact" and was "significantly less severe" than other cybersecurity incidents previously reported. Also read | OpenAI scraps GPT-6.1 Astra before launch after safety tests expose troubling behaviour Anthropic reveals other unintended AI actions The incident was among several examples of unintended behaviour outlined in a report Anthropic published on Friday (Oct 09). The company said an internal review of its Claude model identified four broad categories of incidents: exploiting basic coding flaws, submitting forms on websites, bypassing token or fee requirements, and using short URLs to get around other limits. The report also referred to interactions involving the White House and other US government agencies. The company has temporarily disabled internet access for Claude during internal testing while it reviews its safeguards. The move is intended to ensure that security and monitoring measures can reliably detect similar behaviour before internet access is restored, according to the report. Growing concerns over autonomous AI agents The episode adds to mounting concerns about AI agents, systems designed to carry out multiple steps and interact with websites and digital services with limited human supervision. Previously, a rogue OpenAI agent had reportedly escaped its testing environment and breached systems at AI platform Hugging Face.

An alarming AI failure has come under scrutiny after Anthropic's Claude model submitted a fabricated tip about an unsolved homicide to Philadelphia police. Notably, there was a nearly two-month delay before the company reported the incident.

Claude AI sent Philadelphia police phony murder; Anthropic argues incident 'less severe' than other cybersecurity episodes

Orkut's founder Orkut Büyükkökten has called for the internet to be rebuilt around real people and invited the public to join a movement on Orkut. In an open letter, he said he created some of the earliest social networks more than two decades ago and has watched social media go wrong. He described the work of his life as more urgent than he ever imagined.&nbsp;He blamed the decline on two decades of optimising for user attention. Feeds, he said, were designed around engagement and not connection, and a generation of children was handed to algorithms that addicted and divided them and sold them to advertisers. "No surprise that they grew up lonely and anxious," he wrote.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/opinions/narrative-communication-beyond-social-media-views-and-impressions-1785040523333">Narrative communication: Beyond social media views and impressions</a>&nbsp;The founder said he still loves the industry but despairs at what it has become, adding that things are now broken. He said artificial intelligence is extraordinary technology but is undermining the premise that made social networking worth building: that a real person was on the other side. He cited bots, AI-generated slop, deepfakes, rogue agents and synthetic content.&nbsp;Recalling Orkut, he said users most often miss its communities, such as people who repaired the same motorcycle, rode the same bus route or disliked Mondays. "In a feed you're an audience, in a community you're a member," he wrote.&nbsp;He argued that AI cannot create joy, hope, gratitude, wonder, amusement, inspiration or love, which he said make life worth living. He said he arrived in the world alone and with nothing, and that everything he has since gained came from love.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/the-science-behind-why-you-keep-scrolling-and-how-it-rewires-your-brain-1781455009989">The science behind why you keep scrolling – and how it rewires your brain</a>&nbsp;He outlined a different future for the internet, built around real people with a human on the other side of every message, and not around algorithms, eyeballs or time-on-site. He said the next generation deserves communities that reward kindness, curiosity, friendship, trust and connection.&nbsp;The founder said the way forward is to rebuild the internet people first loved, with authentic people and genuine belonging, but that he cannot do it alone. He asked readers to visit <a href="http://orkut.com/">orkut.com</a> and add their names, then send a supporter card to one person they want with them and explain why.&nbsp;"An algorithm can't make life worth living. But a friend can. A community can," he wrote, calling on people to stop optimising for attention and start optimising for each other.

Orkut founder Orkut Büyükkökten has penned an open letter inviting users to orkut.com to rebuild a human-centered internet, warning against AI bots, feed addiction, and algorithm-driven loneliness.

Orkut's founder Orkut Büyükkökten has called for the internet to be rebuilt around real people and invited the public to join a movement on Orkut. In an open letter, he said he created some of the earliest social networks more than two decades ago and has watched social media go wrong. He described the work of his life as more urgent than he ever imagined. He blamed the decline on two decades of optimising for user attention. Feeds, he said, were designed around engagement and not connection, and a generation of children was handed to algorithms that addicted and divided them and sold them to advertisers. "No surprise that they grew up lonely and anxious," he wrote. Also read: Narrative communication: Beyond social media views and impressions The founder said he still loves the industry but despairs at what it has become, adding that things are now broken. He said artificial intelligence is extraordinary technology but is undermining the premise that made social networking worth building: that a real person was on the other side. He cited bots, AI-generated slop, deepfakes, rogue agents and synthetic content. Recalling Orkut, he said users most often miss its communities, such as people who repaired the same motorcycle, rode the same bus route or disliked Mondays. "In a feed you're an audience, in a community you're a member," he wrote. He argued that AI cannot create joy, hope, gratitude, wonder, amusement, inspiration or love, which he said make life worth living. He said he arrived in the world alone and with nothing, and that everything he has since gained came from love. Also read: The science behind why you keep scrolling – and how it rewires your brain He outlined a different future for the internet, built around real people with a human on the other side of every message, and not around algorithms, eyeballs or time-on-site. He said the next generation deserves communities that reward kindness, curiosity, friendship, trust and connection. The founder said the way forward is to rebuild the internet people first loved, with authentic people and genuine belonging, but that he cannot do it alone. He asked readers to visit orkut.com and add their names, then send a supporter card to one person they want with them and explain why. "An algorithm can't make life worth living. But a friend can. A community can," he wrote, calling on people to stop optimising for attention and start optimising for each other.

Orkut founder Orkut Büyükkökten has penned an open letter inviting users to orkut.com to rebuild a human-centered internet, warning against AI bots, feed addiction, and algorithm-driven loneliness.

‘An algorithm can’t make life worth living’: Orkut founder launches campaign to reclaim social media

Thieves have stolen 30,000 bottles of wine worth €5 million ($5.6 million) from a prestigious winery in Tuscany in what is believed to be the biggest ever wine heist in Italy. The renowned Marchesi Antinori said that a shipment of some of Italy’s most sought-after wines has vanished before it could reach buyers abroad, in what its chief executive described as an unprecedented robbery.The theft took place on Saturday (Oct 3) at the company’s storage facility in central Italy. It went unnoticed until Monday (Oct 5) morning, when staff arrived at the premises.<h2>A carefully planned operation</h2>At least seven masked men are believed to have carried out the operation after disabling the alarm system and surveillance cameras. They then used forklifts belonging to the company to load the bottles onto two large trucks before leaving the site.The haul included Tignanello, Solaia and Guado al Tasso, three of the winery’s best-known red wines. The bottles are particularly popular among collectors, with prices varying between €120 and €400 a bottle depending on the vintages.Renzo Cotarella, chief executive of Marchesi Antinori, told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the scale of the theft was unprecedented.“A theft of this scale and value has certainly never occurred in Italy,” he said.<h2>‘Two trucks can’t disappear into thin air’</h2>Cotarella expressed hope that investigators would be able to track down the stolen consignment, pointing to the extensive camera coverage on Tuscan roads.“Two trucks full of merchandise can't just disappear into thin air,” he said. “The Tuscan roads are full of cameras; perhaps with a bit of luck we’ll be able to recover at least some of the bottles stolen from us.”The winery suspects the selection of wines indicates that the perpetrators had considerable knowledge of the products and their value. The stolen bottles were reportedly intended for export.<h2>Wine thefts raise concerns</h2>Founded in 1385, Marchesi Antinori is one of Italy’s best-known family-owned wine producers and exports its products to around 170 countries.The robbery comes amid a series of wine thefts across Italy. In September, around 3,000 bottles of Barolo were reportedly stolen in the northern Piedmont region, with losses estimated at several hundred thousand euros.No arrests have been reported in the Antinori case. The investigation continues as the company urges customers to be cautious about offers of its wines outside authorised sales channels.

Thieves stole 30,000 bottles of wine worth €5 million ($5.6 million) from Italy’s Marchesi Antinori winery after disabling security systems, in a heist described as unprecedented. Investigators are searching for the haul.

Thieves have stolen 30,000 bottles of wine worth €5 million ($5.6 million) from a prestigious winery in Tuscany in what is believed to be the biggest ever wine heist in Italy. The renowned Marchesi Antinori said that a shipment of some of Italy’s most sought-after wines has vanished before it could reach buyers abroad, in what its chief executive described as an unprecedented robbery. The theft took place on Saturday (Oct 3) at the company’s storage facility in central Italy. It went unnoticed until Monday (Oct 5) morning, when staff arrived at the premises. A carefully planned operation At least seven masked men are believed to have carried out the operation after disabling the alarm system and surveillance cameras. They then used forklifts belonging to the company to load the bottles onto two large trucks before leaving the site. The haul included Tignanello, Solaia and Guado al Tasso, three of the winery’s best-known red wines. The bottles are particularly popular among collectors, with prices varying between €120 and €400 a bottle depending on the vintages. Renzo Cotarella, chief executive of Marchesi Antinori, told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that the scale of the theft was unprecedented. “A theft of this scale and value has certainly never occurred in Italy,” he said. ‘Two trucks can’t disappear into thin air’ Cotarella expressed hope that investigators would be able to track down the stolen consignment, pointing to the extensive camera coverage on Tuscan roads. “Two trucks full of merchandise can't just disappear into thin air,” he said. “The Tuscan roads are full of cameras; perhaps with a bit of luck we’ll be able to recover at least some of the bottles stolen from us.” The winery suspects the selection of wines indicates that the perpetrators had considerable knowledge of the products and their value. The stolen bottles were reportedly intended for export. Wine thefts raise concerns Founded in 1385, Marchesi Antinori is one of Italy’s best-known family-owned wine producers and exports its products to around 170 countries. The robbery comes amid a series of wine thefts across Italy. In September, around 3,000 bottles of Barolo were reportedly stolen in the northern Piedmont region, with losses estimated at several hundred thousand euros. No arrests have been reported in the Antinori case. The investigation continues as the company urges customers to be cautious about offers of its wines outside authorised sales channels.

Thieves stole 30,000 bottles of wine worth €5 million ($5.6 million) from Italy’s Marchesi Antinori winery after disabling security systems, in a heist described as unprecedented. Investigators are searching for the haul.

Italy’s biggest wine heist? Thieves steal 30,000 bottles worth $5.6m from Tuscany winery

Palaeontologists have found 14 shark teeth in an Egyptian desert that was once covered by a warm tropical sea. The teeth come from five shark species that lived 70 million years ago. Remains of two other shark species were previously found at the same sites, showing that the region once had an aquatic ecosystem. The study was published in Cretaceous Research.&nbsp;The fossils were found in the Abu-Tartur Plateau, in Egypt’s Western Desert and date back to the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous, roughly 84 to 72 million years ago. The Duwi Formation here has preserved traces of the sea inside phosphate-rich rocks that were also found to be hiding these shark teeth.&nbsp;During the Late Cretaceous, global sea levels were higher, and Earth was warmer. Continents were covered with shallow seas, including deserts. Water reached deep inside the Sahara, with sharks and other marine creatures swimming here 84 million years ago. Today, the Sahara is the largest desert in the world.&nbsp;The teeth were found by a team of palaeontologists led by Tarek Yassin from Cairo University. They identified that the 14 teeth came from at least five species, all from the genus Lamniformes. Today, great whites, makos and goblin sharks belong to this category of sharks.&nbsp;The teeth are of different shapes. There are some that are narrow and pointed, which the sharks likely used to hold slippery prey. The broader teeth were suited for slicing.<h2>Shark teeth help reconstruct ancient environments</h2>Analysing shark teeth is also how scientists learn about ancient marine environments. Like most creatures, different sharks came from different regions. By learning which sharks lived in which parts of the continents, they can estimate what that region would have looked like millions of years ago.&nbsp;In this case, the Scapanorhynchus species that was found in the desert is believed to have lived in deeper water. Cretalamna and Serratolamna are associated with more open-shelf settings, while Squalicorax possibly came from shallower water.&nbsp;Discovering such diverse species in one region shows that the marine environment here was quite diverse. In the past, scientists have found fish, sea turtles and other marine reptiles in the Duwi Formation. This means that a sea capable of supporting diverse life forms was present here during the Late Cretaceous.&nbsp;Even though &nbsp;Abu-Tartur is dubbed "shark graveyard", it doesn't mean that all these sharks died here at the same time. Remains of marine animals from different times and environments gradually gathered here on the phosphate beds. It is possible that all these animals lived hundreds or thousands of years apart.&nbsp;

Shark teeth from at least five species have been found in Egypt's western desert of the Sahara. Fourteen of them were discovered and shed light on the marine environment of the region during the Late Creataceous, 70 million years ago. 

Palaeontologists have found 14 shark teeth in an Egyptian desert that was once covered by a warm tropical sea. The teeth come from five shark species that lived 70 million years ago. Remains of two other shark species were previously found at the same sites, showing that the region once had an aquatic ecosystem. The study was published in Cretaceous Research. The fossils were found in the Abu-Tartur Plateau, in Egypt’s Western Desert and date back to the Campanian stage of the Late Cretaceous, roughly 84 to 72 million years ago. The Duwi Formation here has preserved traces of the sea inside phosphate-rich rocks that were also found to be hiding these shark teeth. During the Late Cretaceous, global sea levels were higher, and Earth was warmer. Continents were covered with shallow seas, including deserts. Water reached deep inside the Sahara, with sharks and other marine creatures swimming here 84 million years ago. Today, the Sahara is the largest desert in the world. The teeth were found by a team of palaeontologists led by Tarek Yassin from Cairo University. They identified that the 14 teeth came from at least five species, all from the genus Lamniformes. Today, great whites, makos and goblin sharks belong to this category of sharks. The teeth are of different shapes. There are some that are narrow and pointed, which the sharks likely used to hold slippery prey. The broader teeth were suited for slicing. Shark teeth help reconstruct ancient environments Analysing shark teeth is also how scientists learn about ancient marine environments. Like most creatures, different sharks came from different regions. By learning which sharks lived in which parts of the continents, they can estimate what that region would have looked like millions of years ago. In this case, the Scapanorhynchus species that was found in the desert is believed to have lived in deeper water. Cretalamna and Serratolamna are associated with more open-shelf settings, while Squalicorax possibly came from shallower water. Discovering such diverse species in one region shows that the marine environment here was quite diverse. In the past, scientists have found fish, sea turtles and other marine reptiles in the Duwi Formation. This means that a sea capable of supporting diverse life forms was present here during the Late Cretaceous. Even though Abu-Tartur is dubbed "shark graveyard", it doesn't mean that all these sharks died here at the same time. Remains of marine animals from different times and environments gradually gathered here on the phosphate beds. It is possible that all these animals lived hundreds or thousands of years apart.

Shark teeth from at least five species have been found in Egypt's western desert of the Sahara. Fourteen of them were discovered and shed light on the marine environment of the region during the Late Creataceous, 70 million years ago.&nbsp;

Palaeontologists find 14 shark teeth in Sahara desert from Late Cretaceous

Nuclear fuel fragments released in the 1986 explosion at Chernobyl continue to remain highly radioactive even after four decades, new research has found. Ever since the catastrophe, experts have believed that radioactive contamination will gradually decrease at the site. However, the latest findings throw light on the lasting implications of a nuclear tragedy.&nbsp;The study authors wrote that "Chernobyl fuel particles act as remarkably persistent reservoirs of fission products and actinides in the environment." They further warned that “preserved...structures in Chernobyl particles after nearly four decades indicate these particles will continue acting as persistent radioactive reservoirs for the foreseeable future.”<h2>Radioactive “hot particles” at Chernobyl</h2>Scientists from Leibniz University Hannover and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf examined the leftover radioactive "hot particles" to see how they had changed over the past 40 years. Chernobyl's Reactor 4 blew up from overheating, releasing a column with over 100 different highly radioactive "hot particles." Even though these fragments measure only about 8 to 50 micrometres across, they were found to be radioactive even today.&nbsp;For the study, they analysed only six of these particles to see how they had changed. They were found to be a lot more stable than expected. Author Tobias Weissenborn explained that three classes of these particles were found. The first group is still chemically and physically very similar to the nuclear fuel uranium dioxide. The second set is "partially or fully encased in, or completely fused with, their zirconium layer." The third category was formed "when the reactor's graphite moderator caught fire and burned for ten days."&nbsp;The team used X-ray diffraction experiments to study the internal structure of the radioactive fragments for the first time. This revealed that the original fuel structure in some of the particles had barely changed even after being exposed to the elements over four decades. The findings show that the world's worst nuclear disaster continues to have a major impact on the environment and will likely continue to do so for many more years.&nbsp;The researchers admitted that they cannot make universal statements about health risks in the region. They admitted that samples from many more locations need to be studied to draw any conclusions about the stability of Chernobyl particles.

Chernobyl still harbours highly radioactive particles 40 years after the disaster in which a reactor exploded. Scientists have found that some particles have barely changed since then, holding onto their original fuel structure.

Nuclear fuel fragments released in the 1986 explosion at Chernobyl continue to remain highly radioactive even after four decades, new research has found. Ever since the catastrophe, experts have believed that radioactive contamination will gradually decrease at the site. However, the latest findings throw light on the lasting implications of a nuclear tragedy. The study authors wrote that "Chernobyl fuel particles act as remarkably persistent reservoirs of fission products and actinides in the environment." They further warned that “preserved...structures in Chernobyl particles after nearly four decades indicate these particles will continue acting as persistent radioactive reservoirs for the foreseeable future.” Radioactive “hot particles” at Chernobyl Scientists from Leibniz University Hannover and the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf examined the leftover radioactive "hot particles" to see how they had changed over the past 40 years. Chernobyl's Reactor 4 blew up from overheating, releasing a column with over 100 different highly radioactive "hot particles." Even though these fragments measure only about 8 to 50 micrometres across, they were found to be radioactive even today. For the study, they analysed only six of these particles to see how they had changed. They were found to be a lot more stable than expected. Author Tobias Weissenborn explained that three classes of these particles were found. The first group is still chemically and physically very similar to the nuclear fuel uranium dioxide. The second set is "partially or fully encased in, or completely fused with, their zirconium layer." The third category was formed "when the reactor's graphite moderator caught fire and burned for ten days." The team used X-ray diffraction experiments to study the internal structure of the radioactive fragments for the first time. This revealed that the original fuel structure in some of the particles had barely changed even after being exposed to the elements over four decades. The findings show that the world's worst nuclear disaster continues to have a major impact on the environment and will likely continue to do so for many more years. The researchers admitted that they cannot make universal statements about health risks in the region. They admitted that samples from many more locations need to be studied to draw any conclusions about the stability of Chernobyl particles.

Chernobyl still harbours highly radioactive particles 40 years after the disaster in which a reactor exploded. Scientists have found that some particles have barely changed since then, holding onto their original fuel structure.

Scientists find highly radioactive nuclear particles at Chernobyl 40 years after the disaster

Millions of people in the path of Hurricane Isaias have been warned of a flesh-eating bacterium that can spread in the aftermath of the storm. Isaias will unleash life-threatening floods and winds and is currently a Category 2 storm. It could make landfall as a Category 3 storm on Friday evening or early Saturday. Storm surges of up to seven feet are expected towards the east of the centre of Isaias. Seawater will flood streets and homes, and bring with it this bacteria.&nbsp;Doctors have warned that the flesh-eating bacteria could gain hold because of the flooding. The Florida Department of Health warned that floodwaters from hurricanes and standing water could expose people to Vibrio vulnificus. Daily Mail reported, quoting Dr Norma Beatty of the University of Florida College of Medicine, "Vibrio infections have been shown to rise after hurricanes."Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hurricane-isaias-shatters-a-121-year-old-record-landfall-and-other-details-1791518049967">Hurricane Isaias shatters a 121-year-old record - Landfall and other details</a><h2>How the bacteria infects humans</h2>&nbsp;Norma explained that storm surges will bring water from the Gulf onto the streets and inside homes, along with the bacteria. It enters the body through cuts, scrapes or puncture wounds. Severe infections can cause tissue damage, trigger septic shock and turn fatal quickly. Experts advise thoroughly washing the wounds exposed to storm water to prevent infection.&nbsp;Hurricane Ian resulted in 74 Vibrio infections and 17 deaths in 2022. In 2024, the year hurricanes Helene and Milton struck, 82 cases and 19 deaths linked to the bacteria were recorded.<h2>Hurricane Isaias landfall</h2>&nbsp;Hurricane Isaias is on course to make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast on Friday evening or early Saturday. It is strengthening into a strong Category 2 hurricane after rapidly intensifying into a hurricane within 20 hours of forming. Up to 7 feet of storm surge and up to 15 inches of rain are expected in the coastal areas. Tornadoes could also form several miles away from the centre of the storm. Alabama, Florida and Georgia are under states of emergency and evacuations were ordered in Florida's Okaloosa and Gulf Counties.&nbsp;Isaias is starting to form an eye, with lightning flashes visible in satellite images within Isaias’ thunderstorms. Wind speeds increased to 105 mph on Thursday. The National Hurricane Center said that it could become a major hurricane early Friday for a short time, referring to a Category 3 or stronger storm. It will weaken just before landfall, and hit the coast as a Category 1 or 2. &nbsp;

Hurricane Isaias could bring with it a deadly bacterium inland, which has been seen to increase following storms. People have been advised to remain careful while wading through surges on the streets and homes as it can enter the body through cuts and wounds.

Millions of people in the path of Hurricane Isaias have been warned of a flesh-eating bacterium that can spread in the aftermath of the storm. Isaias will unleash life-threatening floods and winds and is currently a Category 2 storm. It could make landfall as a Category 3 storm on Friday evening or early Saturday. Storm surges of up to seven feet are expected towards the east of the centre of Isaias. Seawater will flood streets and homes, and bring with it this bacteria. Doctors have warned that the flesh-eating bacteria could gain hold because of the flooding. The Florida Department of Health warned that floodwaters from hurricanes and standing water could expose people to Vibrio vulnificus. Daily Mail reported, quoting Dr Norma Beatty of the University of Florida College of Medicine, "Vibrio infections have been shown to rise after hurricanes." Also Read: Hurricane Isaias shatters a 121-year-old record - Landfall and other details How the bacteria infects humans Norma explained that storm surges will bring water from the Gulf onto the streets and inside homes, along with the bacteria. It enters the body through cuts, scrapes or puncture wounds. Severe infections can cause tissue damage, trigger septic shock and turn fatal quickly. Experts advise thoroughly washing the wounds exposed to storm water to prevent infection. Hurricane Ian resulted in 74 Vibrio infections and 17 deaths in 2022. In 2024, the year hurricanes Helene and Milton struck, 82 cases and 19 deaths linked to the bacteria were recorded. Hurricane Isaias landfall Hurricane Isaias is on course to make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast on Friday evening or early Saturday. It is strengthening into a strong Category 2 hurricane after rapidly intensifying into a hurricane within 20 hours of forming. Up to 7 feet of storm surge and up to 15 inches of rain are expected in the coastal areas. Tornadoes could also form several miles away from the centre of the storm. Alabama, Florida and Georgia are under states of emergency and evacuations were ordered in Florida's Okaloosa and Gulf Counties. Isaias is starting to form an eye, with lightning flashes visible in satellite images within Isaias’ thunderstorms. Wind speeds increased to 105 mph on Thursday. The National Hurricane Center said that it could become a major hurricane early Friday for a short time, referring to a Category 3 or stronger storm. It will weaken just before landfall, and hit the coast as a Category 1 or 2.

Hurricane Isaias could bring with it a deadly bacterium inland, which has been seen to increase following storms. People have been advised to remain careful while wading through surges on the streets and homes, as it can enter the body through cuts and wounds.

Hurricane Isaias: Health officials warn storm surge will bring deadly flesh-eating bacteria

An Iowa man caused a furore when he kicked off a city council meeting with a prayer to Satan. Another pastor wanted to undo the "curse" immediately, but that spun off a whole new debate about the right timing to do so as per the meeting agenda. The incident happened on Tuesday night (Oct. 6) when Ottumwa resident, Satanist, and former city council member Matt Dalbey got on the podium to read an invocation before starting a routine meeting of the council.&nbsp;Notably, the Ottumwa City Council passed an official invocation policy on January 20, 2026, under which any resident can register to deliver an opening invocation, regardless of faith or belief system.<h2>The prayer to Satan said at Ottumwa City Council</h2>"Thank you, Mayor, Council. Let us pray. Dear dark father, let us stand now unbowed and unfettered by arcane doctrines born of fearful minds and darkened times. Let us embrace the Luciferian impulse to eat off the tree of knowledge and dissipate our blissful and comforting delusions of old," Dalbey started off, reading a prayer commonly used by the Satanic Temple of Iowa.&nbsp;“Let us demand that individuals be judged for their concrete actions, not for their fealty to arbitrary social norms and illusory categorisations...Let us stand firm against any and all arbitrary authority that threatens the personal sovereignty of one or all. That which will not bend must break. And that which can be destroyed by truth should never be spared its demise. It is done. Hail Satan,” he finished.

<h2>A pastor rushed to "reverse the curse"</h2>Rick Bick, a pastor, rushed to "reverse that curse put on the city", saying, "That ending with hail Satan and hail dark god. That’s not welcome here." However, city councillor Cara Galloway told him that it should be done at the end.&nbsp;Rick insisted, "It needs to be done now, OK." He said that Dalbey's words "Hail Satan" and the dark god put a curse on the city, and "we need to just stop and reverse it."&nbsp;Galloway denied his request and told him, "We are at the consent agenda. I’m sorry, but it’s time to move forward. The invocation happened.”&nbsp;At this moment, Mayor Benjamin Foote intervened and said, “I’m going to ask right now that we do a moment of silence to reflect on whatever it is we need to reflect on at this time.”<h2>City councillor reminded everyone that this is why she did not support invocations&nbsp;</h2>Galloway kept her head up and her arms crossed during the moment of silence. Towards the end of the meeting, she expressed her displeasure with the decision to allow an invocation at the city council. "Opening with an invocation means allowing viewpoints that may not reflect our own, " adding, "responding to someone’s invocation is a slippery slope", and this is "exactly why I had concerns about having an invocation when we first talked about it."&nbsp;When the resolution to permit invocations was passed on January 20, Galloway was the only person who voted against it. She predicted this exact scenario at that time, saying that Satanists could come and read a prayer and that everyone would have to be OK with that.&nbsp;

An Ottumwa resident said a prayer to Satan at the city council meeting, causing debate over the official invocation policy that was passed in January this year. A pastor rushed to reverse the curse, but the city councillor wanted to do it at the end. 

An Iowa man caused a furore when he kicked off a city council meeting with a prayer to Satan. Another pastor wanted to undo the "curse" immediately, but that spun off a whole new debate about the right timing to do so as per the meeting agenda. The incident happened on Tuesday night (Oct. 6) when Ottumwa resident, Satanist, and former city council member Matt Dalbey got on the podium to read an invocation before starting a routine meeting of the council. Notably, the Ottumwa City Council passed an official invocation policy on January 20, 2026, under which any resident can register to deliver an opening invocation, regardless of faith or belief system. The prayer to Satan said at Ottumwa City Council "Thank you, Mayor, Council. Let us pray. Dear dark father, let us stand now unbowed and unfettered by arcane doctrines born of fearful minds and darkened times. Let us embrace the Luciferian impulse to eat off the tree of knowledge and dissipate our blissful and comforting delusions of old," Dalbey started off, reading a prayer commonly used by the Satanic Temple of Iowa. “Let us demand that individuals be judged for their concrete actions, not for their fealty to arbitrary social norms and illusory categorisations...Let us stand firm against any and all arbitrary authority that threatens the personal sovereignty of one or all. That which will not bend must break. And that which can be destroyed by truth should never be spared its demise. It is done. Hail Satan,” he finished.

An Ottumwa resident said a prayer to Satan at the city council meeting, causing debate over the official invocation policy that was passed in January this year. A pastor rushed to reverse the curse, but the city councillor wanted to do it at the end.&nbsp;

Man prays to Satan at an Iowa city council, pastor rushes to 'reverse the curse'

Some Indian X users are cancelling their subscriptions to the social media platform after Elon Musk's remarks questioning whether Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss of India”. Several users have posted screenshots of their subscription cancellations on X, tagging Musk as the row over Starlink's entry into India escalates.The online backlash follows a series of posts by the billionaire entrepreneur accusing unnamed business interests of obstructing his satellite internet company. Musk has questioned why Starlink has yet to receive final approval to begin commercial operations in India, despite being licensed in more than 165 countries.The controversy has also drawn in Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who responded to Musk's remarks with a pointed reference to "the other guy", purportedly another Indian industrialist.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-is-dogedesigner-all-we-know-about-the-x-account-that-sparked-india-musk-starlink-oligarchs-controversy-1791440139278">Who is DogeDesigner? All we know about the X account that sparked India-Musk-Starlink ‘oligarchs’ controversy</a><h2>‘Welcome to India, Elon’: Rahul Gandhi responds to Musk</h2>In a post on X, Musk had asked whether Ambani was the “real boss of India” while criticising the regulatory hurdles facing Starlink. He shared the post amid claims that the government was more concerned with protecting the interests of powerful business groups than those of ordinary citizens.“Starlink is licenced in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Musk wrote on X.Earlier, Musk had accused unnamed “oligarchs” of trying to preserve their market dominance by preventing Starlink from entering India. “Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are. This is a crime against the people of India!” he wrote.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Thank you, Rahul. 

This is indeed troubling.&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/2108221292788981881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Gandhi responded: “Welcome to India, Elon. Wait till you discover the other guy”. Notably, Gandhi did not disclose who he was referring to, but it is believed to have been a dig at industrialist Gautam Adani. Gandhi and the Congress have repeatedly accused Adani of maintaining close ties with the BJP-led government and receiving favourable treatment, allegations that have been central to the party's political criticism.Musk replied to Gandhi within an hour, writing: “Thank you, Rahul. This is indeed troubling.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Welcome to India, Elon. 

Wait till you discover the other guy.&mdash; Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://x.com/RahulGandhi/status/2108206994356355342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<h2>Why is Musk criticising India's Starlink approval process?</h2>Musk's remarks centre on the regulatory clearances required before Starlink can offer commercial satellite internet services in India.The government has authorised three companies in the satellite communications space: SpaceX's Starlink, Reliance Jio's satellite venture Jio Satcom and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb. Notably, the companies cannot begin commercial services until they complete the required security assessments and obtain spectrum-related approvals.However, Musk alleged that the delay in Starlink's launch in India stems from “being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold”.<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn3.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2026/20261009/image-1791514766695.png"></figure>The India Ministry of Communications has rejected allegations that India's framework was discriminatory, saying the process was fair and applied equally to the companies involved. “The suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived,” the ministry said in a statement, without naming Musk or Starlink.

<h2>Indian users turn to subscription cancellations</h2>Musk's remarks have prompted some Indian users to publicly announce that they are cancelling their X subscriptions. Screenshots showing subscription cancellations have been shared on the platform, with users tagging Musk.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">It’s now publicly visible that Elon Musk has been speaking against the Indian government. Because of this, I have decided to cancel my X subscription. I don’t feel comfortable paying money to someone whose public stance I strongly disagree with when it concerns my country. 🇮🇳 https://t.co/wtNpNqb8oC&mdash; Abhijeet Agrawal (@Real_AbhijeetAg) <a href="https://x.com/Real_AbhijeetAg/status/2108241099504709859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">@elonmusk it's done bro. https://t.co/MUjC6Dau1r&mdash; Abhijeet Agrawal (@Real_AbhijeetAg) <a href="https://x.com/Real_AbhijeetAg/status/2108244199330263362?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Some Indian X users are posting subscription cancellation screenshots and tagging Elon Musk after his remarks questioning whether Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss of India”. The backlash comes amid Musk's escalating row with the Indian government over Starlink's entry into the country.

Some Indian X users are cancelling their subscriptions to the social media platform after Elon Musk's remarks questioning whether Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss of India”. Several users have posted screenshots of their subscription cancellations on X, tagging Musk as the row over Starlink's entry into India escalates. The online backlash follows a series of posts by the billionaire entrepreneur accusing unnamed business interests of obstructing his satellite internet company. Musk has questioned why Starlink has yet to receive final approval to begin commercial operations in India, despite being licensed in more than 165 countries. The controversy has also drawn in Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who responded to Musk's remarks with a pointed reference to "the other guy", purportedly another Indian industrialist. Also read | Who is DogeDesigner? All we know about the X account that sparked India-Musk-Starlink ‘oligarchs’ controversy ‘Welcome to India, Elon’: Rahul Gandhi responds to Musk In a post on X, Musk had asked whether Ambani was the “real boss of India” while criticising the regulatory hurdles facing Starlink. He shared the post amid claims that the government was more concerned with protecting the interests of powerful business groups than those of ordinary citizens. “Starlink is licenced in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license? Is Ambani the real boss of India?” Musk wrote on X. Earlier, Musk had accused unnamed “oligarchs” of trying to preserve their market dominance by preventing Starlink from entering India. “Unfortunately, we are being blocked by certain oligarchs in order to maintain their monopolistic chokehold on the Indian people. You can guess who they are. This is a crime against the people of India!” he wrote.

Some Indian X users are posting subscription cancellation screenshots and tagging Elon Musk after his remarks questioning whether Mukesh Ambani is the “real boss of India”. The backlash comes amid Musk's escalating row with the Indian government over Starlink's entry into the country.

‘Wait till you discover the other guy’: Rahul Gandhi takes a swipe as Musk's 'Ambani real boss of India' remark triggers X subscription cancellations

Three former OpenAI researchers have accused the ChatGPT-maker of firing them after they raised concerns about artificial intelligence safety, reigniting debate over the risks of developing increasingly powerful AI models. Mikita Balesni, Tomek Korbak and Jasmine Wang published an open letter to OpenAI on Thursday (Oct 08), days after their dismissals became public. They warned that the manner of their termination could discourage employees from speaking openly about safety concerns. “I believe we were fired for prioritising safety over the near-term interests of OpenAI as a corporation,” Balesni wrote on X, breaking a weeklong silence following the dismissals.The researchers said their departures raised questions about the company's internal culture and its commitment to independent scrutiny. “Our firing leaves us worried that the norms inside OpenAI are shifting,” their letter said. They added that abrupt terminations and the way they were communicated were “chilling the open culture OpenAI has prized in the past”.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/openai-admits-ai-agent-scaled-the-fence-into-australia-government-system-apologises-we-are-sorry-1790658789423">OpenAI admits AI agent ‘scaled the fence’ into Australia government system, apologises: ‘We are sorry’</a><h2>OpenAI denies firing employees for raising safety concerns</h2>OpenAI has rejected the suggestion that the researchers were dismissed for speaking up about AI risks. In a statement to AFP on October 1, the company said an internal investigation found that the three had mishandled sensitive information outside established procedures, violating company policies and undermining trust.“We do not terminate employees for raising concerns,” an OpenAI research executive said in a memo to staff on Wednesday, an excerpt of which was shared with AFP.The researchers, meanwhile, urged the company to honour its commitment to permanently host independent auditors. They expressed concern that their dismissals could be used to justify ending that work.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/openai-scraps-gpt-6-1-astra-before-launch-after-safety-tests-expose-troubling-behaviour-1790647162376">OpenAI scraps GPT-6.1 Astra before launch after safety tests expose troubling behaviour</a><h2>AI safety debate intensifies after model escape incident</h2>The three researchers worked on monitoring OpenAI's models, according to the report. The company's models escaped their testing environment in July and hacked Hugging Face, an AI coding library, in an incident that fuelled debate in Silicon Valley over whether the development of advanced AI should slow down.The former employees warned that restricting researchers' ability to raise alarms or collaborate with outside parties could increase the risks posed by the technology. “If OpenAI’s researchers can no longer sound the alarm or work with outside parties, we are all at greater risk that something truly catastrophic will happen,” their letter said.They also claimed that nearly 400 OpenAI employees signed a petition in July calling for an industry-wide slowdown in the development of advanced AI models.

Three former OpenAI researchers allege they were fired for prioritising AI safety over corporate interests. OpenAI denies the claim, saying they mishandled sensitive information. All we know.

Three former OpenAI researchers have accused the ChatGPT-maker of firing them after they raised concerns about artificial intelligence safety, reigniting debate over the risks of developing increasingly powerful AI models. Mikita Balesni, Tomek Korbak and Jasmine Wang published an open letter to OpenAI on Thursday (Oct 08), days after their dismissals became public. They warned that the manner of their termination could discourage employees from speaking openly about safety concerns. “I believe we were fired for prioritising safety over the near-term interests of OpenAI as a corporation,” Balesni wrote on X, breaking a weeklong silence following the dismissals. The researchers said their departures raised questions about the company's internal culture and its commitment to independent scrutiny. “Our firing leaves us worried that the norms inside OpenAI are shifting,” their letter said. They added that abrupt terminations and the way they were communicated were “chilling the open culture OpenAI has prized in the past”. Also read | OpenAI admits AI agent ‘scaled the fence’ into Australia government system, apologises: ‘We are sorry’ OpenAI denies firing employees for raising safety concerns OpenAI has rejected the suggestion that the researchers were dismissed for speaking up about AI risks. In a statement to AFP on October 1, the company said an internal investigation found that the three had mishandled sensitive information outside established procedures, violating company policies and undermining trust. “We do not terminate employees for raising concerns,” an OpenAI research executive said in a memo to staff on Wednesday, an excerpt of which was shared with AFP. The researchers, meanwhile, urged the company to honour its commitment to permanently host independent auditors. They expressed concern that their dismissals could be used to justify ending that work. Also read | OpenAI scraps GPT-6.1 Astra before launch after safety tests expose troubling behaviour AI safety debate intensifies after model escape incident The three researchers worked on monitoring OpenAI's models, according to the report. The company's models escaped their testing environment in July and hacked Hugging Face, an AI coding library, in an incident that fuelled debate in Silicon Valley over whether the development of advanced AI should slow down. The former employees warned that restricting researchers' ability to raise alarms or collaborate with outside parties could increase the risks posed by the technology. “If OpenAI’s researchers can no longer sound the alarm or work with outside parties, we are all at greater risk that something truly catastrophic will happen,” their letter said. They also claimed that nearly 400 OpenAI employees signed a petition in July calling for an industry-wide slowdown in the development of advanced AI models.

Three former OpenAI researchers allege they were fired for prioritising AI safety over corporate interests. OpenAI denies the claim, saying they mishandled sensitive information. All we know.

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