Comet Leonard, which was easily visible from Earth in the month of December last year has disintegrated on its close approach to the Sun, say media reports. What remains of the comet is now moving away from the Sun.&nbsp;

Comet Leonard had its closest approach to the Sun on January 3, 2022. What has made astronomers confirm that Comet Leonard has disintegrated is the observation that remnants of the comet moving away from the Sun no longer show the existence of two important parts of any comet: NUcleus and Coma.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-potentially-hazardous-asteroid-is-coming-near-earth-on-thursday-nasa-464865">A 'potentially hazardous' asteroid is coming near Earth on Thursday: NASA</a>

Nucleus of a comet is its core while Coma is the temporary envelope of atmosphere the comet develops when it approaches the Sun.

Comet Leonard was discovered by Gregory Leonard on January 3 last year.

The comet made closest approach to Earth on December 12 last year. Around that time, the comet had garnered attention for being the brightest comet of the year 2021.

Watching Comet Leonard was hailed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as its huge orbit brought it close to Earth once every 80,000 years.

Comet Leonard's orbit was so huge that it was 3500 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. Its disintegration means that the icy body will no longer be able to orbit the Sun as we knew it previously.

Comet Leonard, which was easily visible from Earth in the month of December last year has disintegrated on its close approach to the Sun, say media reports. What remains of the comet is now moving away from the Sun.

Comet Leonard, which was easily visible from Earth in the month of December last year has disintegrated on its close approach to the Sun, say media reports. What remains of the comet is now moving away from the Sun. Comet Leonard had its closest approach to the Sun on January 3, 2022. What has made astronomers confirm that Comet Leonard has disintegrated is the observation that remnants of the comet moving away from the Sun no longer show the existence of two important parts of any comet: NUcleus and Coma. Also Read | A 'potentially hazardous' asteroid is coming near Earth on Thursday: NASA Nucleus of a comet is its core while Coma is the temporary envelope of atmosphere the comet develops when it approaches the Sun. Comet Leonard was discovered by Gregory Leonard on January 3 last year. The comet made closest approach to Earth on December 12 last year. Around that time, the comet had garnered attention for being the brightest comet of the year 2021. Watching Comet Leonard was hailed as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as its huge orbit brought it close to Earth once every 80,000 years. Comet Leonard's orbit was so huge that it was 3500 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. Its disintegration means that the icy body will no longer be able to orbit the Sun as we knew it previously.

Comet Leonard disintegrates as it goes around the Sun

Global megachurch Hillsong on Wednesday announced that Brian Houston, its co-founder, had resigned follwing complaints of impropriety made against him by two women.

The first complaint had to do with an "inappropriate text message" from Houston to a woman who worked in the church. This had led to the woman's resignation.

Church leadership said that at the time Houston "was under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had developed a dependence".

Second complaint was in relation to an incident involving an inebriated Houston entering a woman's hotel room during the megachurch's annual conference in 2019.&nbsp;

The church's board said Wednesday that "irrespective of the circumstances around" Houston's resignation, both he and his wife -- Hillsong's co-founder Bobbie Houston -- "have served God faithfully over many decades".

Founded by Brian and Bobbie in Sydney in the 1980s, Hillsong has grown from its Australian roots into a global megachurch, which claims an average weekly attendance of 150,000 people.

The church is known for its rock concert-style services that feature pop music and high-profile special guests, including Justin Bieber and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

Houston's resignation from Hillsong comes as he readies to face trial over the charge that he covered up his father's alleged child sexual abuse.

Houston was charged last year with concealing information from police about child abuse by his father, Frank, who was also a pastor and died in 2004.

Frank Houston had been accused of sexually abusing a young boy while a preacher in the 1970s.

A royal commission in 2015 found the younger Houston was told about the allegations in 1999 but failed to report them to authorities, which sparked a police investigation into him.

Houston has pleaded not guilty and said it is his "intention to vigorously defend" himself against the charges. 
The trial is set to begin later this year.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Global megachurch Hillsong on Wednesday announced that Brian Houston, its co-founder, had resigned follwing complaints of impropriety made against him by two women.

Global megachurch Hillsong on Wednesday announced that Brian Houston, its co-founder, had resigned follwing complaints of impropriety made against him by two women. The first complaint had to do with an "inappropriate text message" from Houston to a woman who worked in the church. This had led to the woman's resignation. Church leadership said that at the time Houston "was under the influence of sleeping tablets, upon which he had developed a dependence". Second complaint was in relation to an incident involving an inebriated Houston entering a woman's hotel room during the megachurch's annual conference in 2019. The church's board said Wednesday that "irrespective of the circumstances around" Houston's resignation, both he and his wife -- Hillsong's co-founder Bobbie Houston -- "have served God faithfully over many decades". Founded by Brian and Bobbie in Sydney in the 1980s, Hillsong has grown from its Australian roots into a global megachurch, which claims an average weekly attendance of 150,000 people. The church is known for its rock concert-style services that feature pop music and high-profile special guests, including Justin Bieber and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Houston's resignation from Hillsong comes as he readies to face trial over the charge that he covered up his father's alleged child sexual abuse. Houston was charged last year with concealing information from police about child abuse by his father, Frank, who was also a pastor and died in 2004. Frank Houston had been accused of sexually abusing a young boy while a preacher in the 1970s. A royal commission in 2015 found the younger Houston was told about the allegations in 1999 but failed to report them to authorities, which sparked a police investigation into him. Houston has pleaded not guilty and said it is his "intention to vigorously defend" himself against the charges. The trial is set to begin later this year. (With inputs from agencies)

Hillsong megachurch founder Brian Houston steps down, faces complaints of impropriety towards two women 

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is drawing widespread flak online for inquiring about the faith of Ketanji Brown-Jackson, who is US President Joe Biden's nominee to become a judge in US Supreme Court. Graham's query came during Brown's Senate hearing.

What is especially drawing attention is Graham's follow-up question which many online are deeming inappropriate.

Here's how the conversation went,

Senator Graham: What faith are you by the way?

Brown: Senator I am ... Protestant...non-denominational.

Senator Graham: Could you fairly judge a Catholic?

Ketanji Brown appears a little taken aback but responds smilingly that she has a record of fairly judging everyone.

Here is the video of the interaction posted on Twitter by a journalist.

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It’s 2022 and senator Lindsey Graham asked this question during a senate supreme court hearing. 
 
<a href="https://t.co/epTgVkKHJa">pic.twitter.com/epTgVkKHJa</a>
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) <a href="https://twitter.com/MollyJongFast/status/1506283139022438422?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
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In the US, and in most other constitutional democracies, the role of a judge is implicitly free of any religious bias. Graham's line of inquiry is being deemed inappropriate in this light.

Twitter users have reacted disapprovingly at Graham.

"This couldn't legally be asked in any other job interview, right?" says a Twitter user in comment.

"Not surprised Lindsey Graham would ask such an inappropriate irrelevant question. Did he ask Justice Amy Coney Barrett who is an ultra-conservative Catholic if she could judge those of a different faith fairly," asks another Twitter user.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to US Supreme Court by former US president Donald Trump in the run-up to 2020 US Presidential election. This move was seen by many as a Republican effort to boost the number of conservative judges in US Supreme Court.

Republicans, as media reports say, have also been holding Democrats responsible for&nbsp;attack judges based on their faith in past

As quoted by news website The Hill, Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein had referred to Amy Coney Barrett's ultra-conservative faith saying&nbsp;'the dogma lives loudly within you and that’s of concern'. Lindsey Graham made an allusion to these words that were reportedly said when Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to a federal appeals court in 2017.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is drawing widespread flak online for inquiring about the faith of Ketanji Brown-Jackson, who is US President Joe Biden's nominee to become a judge in US Supreme Court.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham is drawing widespread flak online for inquiring about the faith of Ketanji Brown-Jackson, who is US President Joe Biden's nominee to become a judge in US Supreme Court. Graham's query came during Brown's Senate hearing. What is especially drawing attention is Graham's follow-up question which many online are deeming inappropriate. Here's how the conversation went, Senator Graham: What faith are you by the way? Brown: Senator I am ... Protestant...non-denominational. Senator Graham: Could you fairly judge a Catholic? Ketanji Brown appears a little taken aback but responds smilingly that she has a record of fairly judging everyone. Here is the video of the interaction posted on Twitter by a journalist. It’s 2022 and senator Lindsey Graham asked this question during a senate supreme court hearing. pic.twitter.com/epTgVkKHJa — Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) March 22, 2022 × In the US, and in most other constitutional democracies, the role of a judge is implicitly free of any religious bias. Graham's line of inquiry is being deemed inappropriate in this light. Twitter users have reacted disapprovingly at Graham. "This couldn't legally be asked in any other job interview, right?" says a Twitter user in comment. "Not surprised Lindsey Graham would ask such an inappropriate irrelevant question. Did he ask Justice Amy Coney Barrett who is an ultra-conservative Catholic if she could judge those of a different faith fairly," asks another Twitter user. Justice Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to US Supreme Court by former US president Donald Trump in the run-up to 2020 US Presidential election. This move was seen by many as a Republican effort to boost the number of conservative judges in US Supreme Court. Republicans, as media reports say, have also been holding Democrats responsible for attack judges based on their faith in past As quoted by news website The Hill, Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein had referred to Amy Coney Barrett's ultra-conservative faith saying 'the dogma lives loudly within you and that’s of concern'. Lindsey Graham made an allusion to these words that were reportedly said when Amy Coney Barrett was nominated to a federal appeals court in 2017.

Republican Lindsey Graham draws flak after asking Ketanji Brown Jackson's religion during Senate hearing

Investors from UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong have arrived in Kashmir to explore business opportunities and invest in the Valley. Their visit changes the perception of Kashmir and presents it as a safe and attractive business destination. Palki Sharma brings you a report.

Gravitas: Kashmir hosts investors from UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Hong Kong

How did Russia pay its debt despite Western sanctions? Reports say - the payment on a sovereign bond was processed by American bank JPMorgan Chase Bank. Palki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: US bank helps Russia clears its dues

The economic crisis in Sri Lanka has triggered an exodus. 6 Sri Lankans were caught entering Indian territory. People in Sri Lanka are blaming the Rajapaksas for the severe economic crisis. Palki Sharma tells you why.

Gravitas: Sri Lanka's economic crisis triggers exodus

Authorities in South Korea said on Wednesday that the total number of coronavirus infections in the country had topped 10 million. This is nearly 20 per cent of the country's population.

South Korea has been fighting a Covid wave caused by Omicron, the highly infectious variant of coronavirus.&nbsp;

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 490,881 cases for Tuesday, the second highest daily tally after it peaked at 621,205 on March 16. The total caseload rose to 10,427,247, with 13,432 deaths, up 291 a day before.

The country's infection and death rates are still far below those recorded elsewhere, as almost 87% of its 52 million residents are fully vaccinated and 63% have received booster shots.

But the death toll nearly doubled in just about six weeks, with daily fatalities peaking at 429 last Friday, fuelling demand for funeral arrangements.

The health ministry on Monday instructed the 60 crematories nationwide to operate for longer hours to burn up to seven bodies from five, and the 1,136 funeral parlours capable of storing some 8,700 bodies to expand their facilities.

"Crematories' capacity is increasing," ministry official Son Young-rae said. "But there are still regional differences."

Authorities have already boosted the combined daily cremation capacity from about 1,000 to 1,400 per day starting last week. But a large backlog of bodies and a long wait continued to be reported in the densely populated greater Seoul area, Son said.

Health ministry data showed that the 28 crematories in Seoul city were operating at 114.2% capacity as of Monday, while the ratio stood at about 83% in other regions such as Sejong and Jeju.

Crematories will be temporarily allowed to receive reservations from outside their regions, which is currently banned by some local governments, to ease the pileup, Son said.

The number of critically ill patients has been hovering above 1,000 over the past two weeks, but it could go up to 2,000 in early April, another health ministry official Park Hyang said. Around 64.4% of the intensive care unit beds are occupied as of Wednesday, compared with some 59% two weeks earlier.

As part of efforts to curb severe cases and deaths, South Korea's drug safety agency granted emergency approval for the use of Merck &amp; Co Inc's COVID-19 treatment pill for adults.

The molnupiravir tablet, branded as Lagevrio, is the second oral antiviral to be authorised in South Korea after Pfizer Inc's Paxlovid.

Lagevrio will only be allowed for patients who are aged 18 or older and not pregnant and cannot be treated with injection medications or the highly effective Paxlovid, the drug safety agency said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Authorities in South Korea said on Wednesday that the total number of coronavirus infections in the country had topped 10 million. This is nearly 20 per cent of the country's population.

Authorities in South Korea said on Wednesday that the total number of coronavirus infections in the country had topped 10 million. This is nearly 20 per cent of the country's population. South Korea has been fighting a Covid wave caused by Omicron, the highly infectious variant of coronavirus. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) reported 490,881 cases for Tuesday, the second highest daily tally after it peaked at 621,205 on March 16. The total caseload rose to 10,427,247, with 13,432 deaths, up 291 a day before. The country's infection and death rates are still far below those recorded elsewhere, as almost 87% of its 52 million residents are fully vaccinated and 63% have received booster shots. But the death toll nearly doubled in just about six weeks, with daily fatalities peaking at 429 last Friday, fuelling demand for funeral arrangements. The health ministry on Monday instructed the 60 crematories nationwide to operate for longer hours to burn up to seven bodies from five, and the 1,136 funeral parlours capable of storing some 8,700 bodies to expand their facilities. "Crematories' capacity is increasing," ministry official Son Young-rae said. "But there are still regional differences." Authorities have already boosted the combined daily cremation capacity from about 1,000 to 1,400 per day starting last week. But a large backlog of bodies and a long wait continued to be reported in the densely populated greater Seoul area, Son said. Health ministry data showed that the 28 crematories in Seoul city were operating at 114.2% capacity as of Monday, while the ratio stood at about 83% in other regions such as Sejong and Jeju. Crematories will be temporarily allowed to receive reservations from outside their regions, which is currently banned by some local governments, to ease the pileup, Son said. The number of critically ill patients has been hovering above 1,000 over the past two weeks, but it could go up to 2,000 in early April, another health ministry official Park Hyang said. Around 64.4% of the intensive care unit beds are occupied as of Wednesday, compared with some 59% two weeks earlier. As part of efforts to curb severe cases and deaths, South Korea's drug safety agency granted emergency approval for the use of Merck & Co Inc's COVID-19 treatment pill for adults. The molnupiravir tablet, branded as Lagevrio, is the second oral antiviral to be authorised in South Korea after Pfizer Inc's Paxlovid. Lagevrio will only be allowed for patients who are aged 18 or older and not pregnant and cannot be treated with injection medications or the highly effective Paxlovid, the drug safety agency said. (With inputs from agencies)

South Korea: Covid cases top 10 million, funeral homes overwhelmed

A 'potentially hazardous'&nbsp;asteroid is on its way to come near Earth. The asteroid isn't exactly small. It is comparable to Empire State Building. If this asteroid hits the Earth, it packs more than enough punch to cause widespread destruction.

Asteroid 2013 BO76, as it has been named is 450 metres (Nearly a half kilometre) across. The size may seem small but the high speed with which it is travelling gives it enough potential to cause major damage on Earth if it hits. The asteroid is flying at a staggering speed of 49513.45 kilometres per hour.&nbsp;

NASA has categorised the asteroid to be 'potentially hazardous'. It is then perhaps a good thing that it will fly past Earth at a distance of 51,11,759 kilometres. It will zoom past Earth on Thursday (March 24).

This is not the first time this asteroid has come into our neighbourhood to say Hi.&nbsp;

In 2013, it zoomed past the Earth at a distance of 78,88,295 kilometres. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has said that after Thursday's flyby, the same asteroid will visit Earth on July 14, 2033. At that time, it is expected to be at a distance of 1,91,85,926 kilometres from the Earth.

NASA's JPL has also orbital parameters of the asteroid along with its orbital diagram around Earth.

<img alt="NASA asteroid" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="56a74fd6-049b-44f3-828d-40b0bcb93980" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/asteroid.png" />

The intersecting orbits of the planets and the asteroid can clearly be seen in the picture above. Earth's orbit is visible in light blue colour while that of the asteroid has been depicted in white.

A 'potentially hazardous' asteroid is on its way to come near Earth. The asteroid isn't exactly small. It is comparable to Empire State Building. If this asteroid hits the Earth, it packs more than enough punch to cause widespread destruction.

A 'potentially hazardous' asteroid is on its way to come near Earth. The asteroid isn't exactly small. It is comparable to Empire State Building. If this asteroid hits the Earth, it packs more than enough punch to cause widespread destruction. Asteroid 2013 BO76, as it has been named is 450 metres (Nearly a half kilometre) across. The size may seem small but the high speed with which it is travelling gives it enough potential to cause major damage on Earth if it hits. The asteroid is flying at a staggering speed of 49513.45 kilometres per hour. NASA has categorised the asteroid to be 'potentially hazardous'. It is then perhaps a good thing that it will fly past Earth at a distance of 51,11,759 kilometres. It will zoom past Earth on Thursday (March 24). This is not the first time this asteroid has come into our neighbourhood to say Hi. In 2013, it zoomed past the Earth at a distance of 78,88,295 kilometres. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has said that after Thursday's flyby, the same asteroid will visit Earth on July 14, 2033. At that time, it is expected to be at a distance of 1,91,85,926 kilometres from the Earth. NASA's JPL has also orbital parameters of the asteroid along with its orbital diagram around Earth. The intersecting orbits of the planets and the asteroid can clearly be seen in the picture above. Earth's orbit is visible in light blue colour while that of the asteroid has been depicted in white.

A 'potentially hazardous' asteroid is coming near Earth on Thursday: NASA

UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar on Monday said the central universities will have to use Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores to admit students to undergraduate programmes this year in India.&nbsp;

He said the CUET, in all likelihood, will be conducted in the first week of July.

This means that apart from the eligibility criterion of different universities, Class 12 board examination marks will not have any bearing on the admission of the students.

"From the 2022-23 academic year, the National Testing Agency will be conducting the CUET for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. All the central universities will have to consider CUET scores for admissions to their programmes," Kumar said at a press briefing.

There are 45 central universities funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC).

The syllabus of the CUET will be mirrored with the Class 12 model syllabus of the NCERT, Kumar said.

The CUET will have Section 1A, Section 1B, general test and domain-specific subjects. Section 1A, which will be compulsory, will be in 13 languages and candidates can choose the language of their choice.

The options are English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Section 1B is optional and for students who want to opt for another language apart from the ones that are a part of Section 1A. Some of the languages on offer are French, Arabic, German, etc, he added.

Under the domain-specific subjects, a candidate can choose up to a maximum of six domains that they wish to pursue at the undergraduate level, Kumar said.

There are some universities that have general test as eligibility criteria for admission to even domain-specific courses so that is a part of the CUET, he said.

The UGC chairman said the reservation policy of the universities will not be impacted due to the CUET.

"The universities can enroll candidates for the general seats as well as for the reserved seats on the basis of CUET scores. It will not impact the existing admission and reservation policy that are in accordance with the Ordinances of the varsity," he said.

Explaining further, he said if a university has a certain percentage of seats reserved for local students, it will be able to retain that.

"But the thing is that these students will also have to take admission through CUET,” he added.

Central universities like Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) reserve half of their seats for the minority students. Both the universities are yet to take a call on CUET.

According to an AMU official, they will take a call on the CUET once they receive any communication from the UGC.

Kumar also said foreign students will continue to be admitted as per the existing practice the universities have on supernumerary basis.

The universities will be allowed to conduct practical and interviews for courses like music, fine arts, theatre, along with CUET.

"The institutes can accord certain weightage to practical for such courses," he said.

He also said there would not be any centralised counselling after CUET this year. The universities will have their own counselling.

The CUET will be held in two shifts. In the first shift, candidates will be able to write one language, two domain-specific papers and the general test. In the second shift, candidates can write the remaining four domain-specific subjects and section 1B, Kumar said.

Talking about the benefits of CUET, he said it will provide equal opportunities to students from across boards, especially to those from the northeast and rural areas.

The CUET is also expected to reduce financial burden on parents and students, as candidates will only have to write one exam.

The state universities, private universities and deemed to be universities can also use CUET scores for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions if they want, Kumar said.

Delhi University and some other universities have already announced that they will only admit students to undergraduate courses on the basis of CUET.

About postgraduate programmes, Kumar said, there are many universities that have adopted the CUET while there are some that conduct their own exams. The universities will have flexibility to opt for CUET as of now.

"We hope that all the universities adopt the CUET for postgraduate programmes," he said.

The NTA will soon release the detailed guidelines regarding CUET and the UGC will issue a public notice on Tuesday, Kumar said.

UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar on Monday said the central universities will have to use Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores to admit students to undergraduate programmes this year in India.

UGC chairman M Jagadesh Kumar on Monday said the central universities will have to use Common University Entrance Test (CUET) scores to admit students to undergraduate programmes this year in India. He said the CUET, in all likelihood, will be conducted in the first week of July. This means that apart from the eligibility criterion of different universities, Class 12 board examination marks will not have any bearing on the admission of the students. "From the 2022-23 academic year, the National Testing Agency will be conducting the CUET for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. All the central universities will have to consider CUET scores for admissions to their programmes," Kumar said at a press briefing. There are 45 central universities funded by the University Grants Commission (UGC). The syllabus of the CUET will be mirrored with the Class 12 model syllabus of the NCERT, Kumar said. The CUET will have Section 1A, Section 1B, general test and domain-specific subjects. Section 1A, which will be compulsory, will be in 13 languages and candidates can choose the language of their choice. The options are English, Hindi, Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. Section 1B is optional and for students who want to opt for another language apart from the ones that are a part of Section 1A. Some of the languages on offer are French, Arabic, German, etc, he added. Under the domain-specific subjects, a candidate can choose up to a maximum of six domains that they wish to pursue at the undergraduate level, Kumar said. There are some universities that have general test as eligibility criteria for admission to even domain-specific courses so that is a part of the CUET, he said. The UGC chairman said the reservation policy of the universities will not be impacted due to the CUET. "The universities can enroll candidates for the general seats as well as for the reserved seats on the basis of CUET scores. It will not impact the existing admission and reservation policy that are in accordance with the Ordinances of the varsity," he said. Explaining further, he said if a university has a certain percentage of seats reserved for local students, it will be able to retain that. "But the thing is that these students will also have to take admission through CUET,” he added. Central universities like Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) reserve half of their seats for the minority students. Both the universities are yet to take a call on CUET. According to an AMU official, they will take a call on the CUET once they receive any communication from the UGC. Kumar also said foreign students will continue to be admitted as per the existing practice the universities have on supernumerary basis. The universities will be allowed to conduct practical and interviews for courses like music, fine arts, theatre, along with CUET. "The institutes can accord certain weightage to practical for such courses," he said. He also said there would not be any centralised counselling after CUET this year. The universities will have their own counselling. The CUET will be held in two shifts. In the first shift, candidates will be able to write one language, two domain-specific papers and the general test. In the second shift, candidates can write the remaining four domain-specific subjects and section 1B, Kumar said. Talking about the benefits of CUET, he said it will provide equal opportunities to students from across boards, especially to those from the northeast and rural areas. The CUET is also expected to reduce financial burden on parents and students, as candidates will only have to write one exam. The state universities, private universities and deemed to be universities can also use CUET scores for undergraduate and postgraduate admissions if they want, Kumar said. Delhi University and some other universities have already announced that they will only admit students to undergraduate courses on the basis of CUET. About postgraduate programmes, Kumar said, there are many universities that have adopted the CUET while there are some that conduct their own exams. The universities will have flexibility to opt for CUET as of now. "We hope that all the universities adopt the CUET for postgraduate programmes," he said. The NTA will soon release the detailed guidelines regarding CUET and the UGC will issue a public notice on Tuesday, Kumar said.

India: Common entrance test, not Class 12 marks, for admissions to college

The European Union (EU) on Monday approved a fresh defence strategy that will involve a 5000-strong rapid reaction force. The new strategy is intended to increase the bloc's capacity to act. The plan has been in the pipeline for two years.

This plan underwent a last-minute rewrite to increase the focus on the threat from Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine.&nbsp;

"It's not the answer to the Ukrainian war, but it is part of the answer," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at a meeting of the bloc's foreign and defence ministers.&nbsp;

"When we started working, we couldn't imagine that at the last moment of approval the situation would be so bad and Europe would be facing such a big challenge."

EU leaders have described Russia's assault on Ukraine as a wake-up call that their 27 nations have to take a more muscular approach to their security.

US-led military alliance NATO has for decades provided the bedrock for European defence and the war in Ukraine has reinforced the instinct among many EU members to keep Washington close.&nbsp;

But there has also been a push led by France for the bloc to bolster its own capacity to act.&nbsp;

The new strategy is designed to strike that balancing act while boosting defence cooperation between EU states.&nbsp;

"The more hostile security environment requires us to make a quantum leap forward and increase our capacity and willingness to act, strengthen our resilience, and invest more and better in our defence capabilities," the EU said in a statement.&nbsp;

"The objective of the Strategic Compass is to make the EU a stronger and more capable security provider." &nbsp;

Central to the plan is the establishment, by 2025, of an "EU Rapid Deployment Capacity" of up to 5,000 troops that could be sent into hostile environments.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Union (EU) on Monday approved a fresh defence strategy that will involve a 5000-strong rapid reaction force. The new strategy is intended to increase the bloc's capacity to act.

The European Union (EU) on Monday approved a fresh defence strategy that will involve a 5000-strong rapid reaction force. The new strategy is intended to increase the bloc's capacity to act. The plan has been in the pipeline for two years. This plan underwent a last-minute rewrite to increase the focus on the threat from Russia after Moscow invaded Ukraine. "It's not the answer to the Ukrainian war, but it is part of the answer," EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said at a meeting of the bloc's foreign and defence ministers. "When we started working, we couldn't imagine that at the last moment of approval the situation would be so bad and Europe would be facing such a big challenge." EU leaders have described Russia's assault on Ukraine as a wake-up call that their 27 nations have to take a more muscular approach to their security. US-led military alliance NATO has for decades provided the bedrock for European defence and the war in Ukraine has reinforced the instinct among many EU members to keep Washington close. But there has also been a push led by France for the bloc to bolster its own capacity to act. The new strategy is designed to strike that balancing act while boosting defence cooperation between EU states. "The more hostile security environment requires us to make a quantum leap forward and increase our capacity and willingness to act, strengthen our resilience, and invest more and better in our defence capabilities," the EU said in a statement. "The objective of the Strategic Compass is to make the EU a stronger and more capable security provider." Central to the plan is the establishment, by 2025, of an "EU Rapid Deployment Capacity" of up to 5,000 troops that could be sent into hostile environments. (With inputs from agencies)

EU aims to form a rapid reaction force

Galaxies are not just a massive collection of stars. They are also stellar nurseries. New stars form and old die-out. However, the rate at which new stars are formed is not constant universally. Some galaxies form new stars at a greater rate while others are in a state of semi-retirement, that is, star formation is taking place at a much lower rate in these galaxies.

What is the reason behind these varying rates of star formation? What causes the rate of star formation to lower? These and some other questions have been in focus of space research for decades.&nbsp;

A study has pointed at the reason why star formation slows down in a galaxy. The answer is, supermassive black holes.

Supermassive black holes have mass millions or even billions of times of that of the Sun. Supermassive black holes are found at the centre of spiral galaxies. Their unimaginably strong gravitational force holds the entire galaxy together.

To find out what slows down star formation in a galaxy, researchers from the University of Cambridge used three state-of-the-art cosmological simulations -- EAGLE, Illustris and IllustrisTNG.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/decoding-pigs-emotions-scientists-can-now-tell-if-the-animal-is-happy-or-sad-464604">Decoding emotions: Scientists can now tell if a pig is happy or sad</a>

The researchers applied a machine-learning algorithm and classified galaxies into two types, 'star-forming' and 'quiescent'

The new simulations predicted that mass of the supermassive black hole was most important factor slowing down star formation in a galaxy.

Galaxies are not just a massive collection of stars. They are also stellar nurseries. New stars form and old die-out. However, the rate at which new stars are formed is not constant universally.

Galaxies are not just a massive collection of stars. They are also stellar nurseries. New stars form and old die-out. However, the rate at which new stars are formed is not constant universally. Some galaxies form new stars at a greater rate while others are in a state of semi-retirement, that is, star formation is taking place at a much lower rate in these galaxies. What is the reason behind these varying rates of star formation? What causes the rate of star formation to lower? These and some other questions have been in focus of space research for decades. A study has pointed at the reason why star formation slows down in a galaxy. The answer is, supermassive black holes. Supermassive black holes have mass millions or even billions of times of that of the Sun. Supermassive black holes are found at the centre of spiral galaxies. Their unimaginably strong gravitational force holds the entire galaxy together. To find out what slows down star formation in a galaxy, researchers from the University of Cambridge used three state-of-the-art cosmological simulations -- EAGLE, Illustris and IllustrisTNG. Also Read | Decoding emotions: Scientists can now tell if a pig is happy or sad The researchers applied a machine-learning algorithm and classified galaxies into two types, 'star-forming' and 'quiescent' The new simulations predicted that mass of the supermassive black hole was most important factor slowing down star formation in a galaxy.

What slows down star-formation in a galaxy? This is the answer

War oftentimes does not remain limited to warring parties. It creates a domino effect that causes a variety of problems across the world, even in countries far removed from the actual fighting. Ukraine conflict has created a state of alert in Europe but its effects in terms of rising oil prices are being felt across the world.

Another effect Ukraine conflict has had is the 'noodle crisis' in Indonesia, a country half a world away from the actual battle zone.

Ukraine conflict has caused a shortage of the iconic and heavily popular 'Indomie' noodles in Indonesia. Ukraine is the biggest exporter of wheat to Indonesia and activity at Ukrainian ports has considerably slowed down since the Russian invasion. Production of Indomie noodles, which are made from wheat flour has thus taken a hit.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/western-sanctions-might-impact-69-year-old-vladimir-putins-youthful-looks-heres-how-464508">Western sanctions might impact 69-year-old Vladimir Putin's youthful looks. Here's how</a>

The brand Indomie calls itself the first brand to introduce and popularise the concept of instant noodles in Indonesia. It is popular in all segments of Indonesian society. From students on a budget to someone wanting to have a quick snack, these noodles are the solution.

Media reports suggest that stores in the country are rapidly running out of fresh packs and prices of remaining stocks have risen.

According to Indonesia’s National Statistics Bureau, Ukraine exported 3 million tonnes of wheat to Indonesia in the year 2020 alone. A researcher quoted by Al Jazeera said that there were indications that wheat supply to Indonesia was under strain.

“When Russia invaded Ukraine, activities at Ukrainian ports stopped,” said Lestary J Barany, a research assistant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).&nbsp;

“Many granaries were located in the east, close to areas occupied by Russian troops. Thus, the threat from the supply side for these materials is becoming more real.”

Barany was quoted by Al Jazeera.

War oftentimes does not remain limited to warring parties. It creates a domino effect that causes a variety of problems across the world, even in countries far removed from the actual fighting.

War oftentimes does not remain limited to warring parties. It creates a domino effect that causes a variety of problems across the world, even in countries far removed from the actual fighting. Ukraine conflict has created a state of alert in Europe but its effects in terms of rising oil prices are being felt across the world. Another effect Ukraine conflict has had is the 'noodle crisis' in Indonesia, a country half a world away from the actual battle zone. Ukraine conflict has caused a shortage of the iconic and heavily popular 'Indomie' noodles in Indonesia. Ukraine is the biggest exporter of wheat to Indonesia and activity at Ukrainian ports has considerably slowed down since the Russian invasion. Production of Indomie noodles, which are made from wheat flour has thus taken a hit. Also Read | Western sanctions might impact 69-year-old Vladimir Putin's youthful looks. Here's how The brand Indomie calls itself the first brand to introduce and popularise the concept of instant noodles in Indonesia. It is popular in all segments of Indonesian society. From students on a budget to someone wanting to have a quick snack, these noodles are the solution. Media reports suggest that stores in the country are rapidly running out of fresh packs and prices of remaining stocks have risen. According to Indonesia’s National Statistics Bureau, Ukraine exported 3 million tonnes of wheat to Indonesia in the year 2020 alone. A researcher quoted by Al Jazeera said that there were indications that wheat supply to Indonesia was under strain. “When Russia invaded Ukraine, activities at Ukrainian ports stopped,” said Lestary J Barany, a research assistant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). “Many granaries were located in the east, close to areas occupied by Russian troops. Thus, the threat from the supply side for these materials is becoming more real.” Barany was quoted by Al Jazeera.

Ukraine conflict creates 'noodle crisis' in Indonesia

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Manas Joshi

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