Comet Leonard, the brightest comet in the year 2021 flew by Earth recently. Scientists obviously had their eyes and lenses at the celestial body but many amateur astronomers pointed their telescopes at it as well. Those who could spot it grabbed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as the comet will next be seen after 35,000 years. That is if Sun doesn't decide to gobble it up this time.

Talking about the Sun, the Comet Leonard made a very close approach to one of our spacecrafts in the area. NASA and European Space Agency's (ESA) solar orbitter spacecraft, like its name suggests, orbits the Sun and makes important observations about our only star.

Comet Leonard passed very close to the solar orbitter between December 17 and December 19.&nbsp;

Was there any damage to the orbitter? Thankfully not.

Was the operation of the orbitter hampered in any way? No.

Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI), the spacecraft captured images of the comet as it passed by. n

“When SoloHi recorded these images, the comet was approximately between the sun and the spacecraft, with its gas and dust tails pointing towards the spacecraft,” said the ESA in an official statement.

The spacecraft will continue to observe the comet till December 22. After that the comet will move out of its field of vision.

It is not exactly known what will happen of the comet as at its closest approach, it will be just 90 million miles away from the Sun. There is a chance that the icy comet will break-up due to the heat. Otherwise, Sun's gravity may fling it in space away from itself.

Comet Leonard, the brightest comet in the year 2021 flew by Earth recently. Scientists obviously had their eyes and lenses at the celestial body but many amateur astronomers pointed their telescopes at it as well.

Comet Leonard, the brightest comet in the year 2021 flew by Earth recently. Scientists obviously had their eyes and lenses at the celestial body but many amateur astronomers pointed their telescopes at it as well. Those who could spot it grabbed this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as the comet will next be seen after 35,000 years. That is if Sun doesn't decide to gobble it up this time. Talking about the Sun, the Comet Leonard made a very close approach to one of our spacecrafts in the area. NASA and European Space Agency's (ESA) solar orbitter spacecraft, like its name suggests, orbits the Sun and makes important observations about our only star. Comet Leonard passed very close to the solar orbitter between December 17 and December 19. Was there any damage to the orbitter? Thankfully not. Was the operation of the orbitter hampered in any way? No. Solar Orbiter Heliospheric Imager (SoloHI), the spacecraft captured images of the comet as it passed by. n “When SoloHi recorded these images, the comet was approximately between the sun and the spacecraft, with its gas and dust tails pointing towards the spacecraft,” said the ESA in an official statement. The spacecraft will continue to observe the comet till December 22. After that the comet will move out of its field of vision. It is not exactly known what will happen of the comet as at its closest approach, it will be just 90 million miles away from the Sun. There is a chance that the icy comet will break-up due to the heat. Otherwise, Sun's gravity may fling it in space away from itself.

Comet Leonard had a close shave with a spacecraft near Sun, check what happened

An Australian man who absconded from quarantine sparking a lockdown has been sentenced to five months in jail. The man from Australia's New South Wales state absconded quarantine in Hobart, capital of Australian island state of Tasmania.

Timothy Gunn, the man in question, on arriving in Tasmania lied to authorities that he had come from Queensland when in fact he had flown in from New South Wales. He was told by the authorities to remain in quarantine in Travelodge hotel for two weeks. However, Gunn left the hotel before the quarantine period was over.

He then stayed in Woolworths, a suburb of Hobart. He even shared a house with several.

Authorities arrested Gunn and on testing, he was found to be Covid positive. This sparked a lockdown and state authorities enforced mask mandate.&nbsp;

After he was arrested, Timothy Gunn was presented before a magistrate. The magistrate court sentenced him to five months in jail. Two months out of the total sentence were suspended. The sentence was backdated to late October. Gunn was taken into custody at that time.

As per reports, the magistrate noted that Timothy Gunn did not know that he was infected with Covid when he was out. There were no Covid cases linked to him in the record.

The state government has tightened security at the Travelodge hotel where the quarantine breach took place. Surveillance cameras have been installed as well.

An Australian man who absconded from quarantine sparking a lockdown has been sentenced to five months in jail. The man from Australia's New South Wales state absconded quarantine in Hobart, capital of Australian island state of Tasmania.

An Australian man who absconded from quarantine sparking a lockdown has been sentenced to five months in jail. The man from Australia's New South Wales state absconded quarantine in Hobart, capital of Australian island state of Tasmania. Timothy Gunn, the man in question, on arriving in Tasmania lied to authorities that he had come from Queensland when in fact he had flown in from New South Wales. He was told by the authorities to remain in quarantine in Travelodge hotel for two weeks. However, Gunn left the hotel before the quarantine period was over. He then stayed in Woolworths, a suburb of Hobart. He even shared a house with several. Authorities arrested Gunn and on testing, he was found to be Covid positive. This sparked a lockdown and state authorities enforced mask mandate. After he was arrested, Timothy Gunn was presented before a magistrate. The magistrate court sentenced him to five months in jail. Two months out of the total sentence were suspended. The sentence was backdated to late October. Gunn was taken into custody at that time. As per reports, the magistrate noted that Timothy Gunn did not know that he was infected with Covid when he was out. There were no Covid cases linked to him in the record. The state government has tightened security at the Travelodge hotel where the quarantine breach took place. Surveillance cameras have been installed as well.

Australian man who escaped quarantine and sparked lockdown sent to jail

Stymied by Republicans on voting rights legislation, Sen. Chuck Schumer on Monday gave the clearest sign yet that he would try to force a fundamental change in Senate rules if needed to enact federal laws to offset voting restrictions being imposed by Republican-led legislatures around the country.

In a letter to colleagues, Schumer, D-N.Y., the majority leader, said that the Senate would take up stalled voting rights legislation as early as the first week of January and that if Republicans continued to filibuster, the Senate would “consider changes to any rules which prevent us from debating and reaching final conclusion on important legislation.”

But it is not clear how far Democrats will be willing or able to go in working around the 60-vote requirement for most legislation and finding a way to pass voting rights legislation with a simple majority. While several formerly reluctant senators have in recent weeks endorsed rules change for voting issues, at least two Democratic senators — Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — have resisted.

Alarmed by state laws being enacted in the aftermath of the 2020 election that seem aimed at making it more difficult for people, particularly minorities, to vote, Democrats have tried repeatedly this year to set federal standards for early and mail-in voting and curb partisan gerrymandering, among other provisions. But they have been consistently thwarted by a Republican blockade.

To this point, Democrats have not pressed the issue. But Schumer’s new stance shows that he is ready to take the next step and start a rules fight on the Senate floor though he has so far lacked the 50 Democratic votes needed to force through a change over Republican opposition.

Schumer’s move seems intended to change the dynamic of the debate and put new pressure on his colleagues to back a change. Schumer’s frustration boiled over in his letter, saying it was unfair to let states set new rules through partisan majority votes while Republicans were preventing the Senate from doing the same.

“I would ask you to consider this question,” he wrote. “If the right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, then how can we in good conscience allow for a situation in which the Republican Party can debate and pass voter suppression laws at the state level with only a simple majority vote, but not allow the United States Senate to do the same?”

Schumer has in the past said mainly that “all options are on the table” when it comes to pressing voting rights legislation, refraining from a direct threat on Senate rules.

A group of more moderate Senate Democrats have been engaged in negotiations on rules changes with Manchin and Sinema and have reported some progress but no breakthrough. While Manchin on Sunday shattered Democratic plans to push forward on a sweeping social policy and climate change bill, he opened the door a crack to potential changes in Senate rules.

“If you can make the Senate work better, the rules are something we’ve changed over the years; 232 years, there’s been rule changes,” Manchin said Sunday on Fox News. But he also suggested that he might be interested in more modest changes than Schumer and others are contemplating, saying he would continue to support the 60-vote, supermajority threshold to overcome a filibuster.

Sinema has also drawn a line against partisan changes in the rules, but Democrats say they believe she would not want to be the lone holdout if Manchin were persuaded to relent on the legislative filibuster.

Democrats knowledgeable about the internal deliberations say that many possible changes are under consideration, including weakening the filibuster against the preliminary “motion to proceed” to bring legislation to the floor for consideration. But in a more significant move, Democrats say they are also discussing a change that would clear the way for final action on a bill through a simple majority vote after guaranteeing opponents the opportunity to alter the legislation through a significant number of amendments.

Instituting such a change would require the support of all 50 Democrats and the vote of Vice President Kamala Harris presiding to break a tie in the 50-50 Senate.

Democrats say such a filibuster “carve out” would apply only to issues grounded in constitutional rights such as voting, but Republicans and others say it would inevitably be extended to other legislation, diminishing the overall power of the filibuster.

The Democratic voting rights and rules change push would meet universal resistance from Republicans. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader, last week accused Democrats of “rattling swords about changing the structure of the Senate” and commended Manchin for opposing it.

“Changing the structure of the Senate in order to achieve a partisan advantage is a mistake for the Senate and a mistake for our country,” he said.

Once used rarely, the filibuster has become a routine aspect of the Senate in recent decades and virtually all legislation now has to clear a 60-vote hurdle just to be debated on the floor, severely limiting what business can be taken up.

Outraged over Republicans blocking President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees through regular filibusters, Democrats in 2013 took the procedural steps to allow most nominees to be confirmed with a simple majority vote. Republicans countered in 2017 by extending that rule to Supreme Court nominees, enabling President Donald Trump to install three high court justices.

In a statement in the letter directed at Manchin, Schumer noted that Sen. Robert C. Byrd, a Senate stalwart whose seat Manchin occupies, said in 1979 that sometimes Senate rules that seemed appropriate “must be changed to reflect changed circumstance.”

“I believe our constituents deserve to know which senators choose to hide behind ill-conceived and abused rules and which senators prefer to restore Senate floor procedures to better align with the founders’ intentions,” Schumer wrote.

Stymied by Republicans on voting rights legislation, Sen. Chuck Schumer on Monday gave the clearest sign yet that he would try to force a fundamental change in Senate rules if needed to enact federal laws to offset voting restrictions being imposed by Republican-led legislatures around the country.

Stymied by Republicans on voting rights legislation, Sen. Chuck Schumer on Monday gave the clearest sign yet that he would try to force a fundamental change in Senate rules if needed to enact federal laws to offset voting restrictions being imposed by Republican-led legislatures around the country. In a letter to colleagues, Schumer, D-N.Y., the majority leader, said that the Senate would take up stalled voting rights legislation as early as the first week of January and that if Republicans continued to filibuster, the Senate would “consider changes to any rules which prevent us from debating and reaching final conclusion on important legislation.” But it is not clear how far Democrats will be willing or able to go in working around the 60-vote requirement for most legislation and finding a way to pass voting rights legislation with a simple majority. While several formerly reluctant senators have in recent weeks endorsed rules change for voting issues, at least two Democratic senators — Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona — have resisted. Alarmed by state laws being enacted in the aftermath of the 2020 election that seem aimed at making it more difficult for people, particularly minorities, to vote, Democrats have tried repeatedly this year to set federal standards for early and mail-in voting and curb partisan gerrymandering, among other provisions. But they have been consistently thwarted by a Republican blockade. To this point, Democrats have not pressed the issue. But Schumer’s new stance shows that he is ready to take the next step and start a rules fight on the Senate floor though he has so far lacked the 50 Democratic votes needed to force through a change over Republican opposition. Schumer’s move seems intended to change the dynamic of the debate and put new pressure on his colleagues to back a change. Schumer’s frustration boiled over in his letter, saying it was unfair to let states set new rules through partisan majority votes while Republicans were preventing the Senate from doing the same. “I would ask you to consider this question,” he wrote. “If the right to vote is the cornerstone of our democracy, then how can we in good conscience allow for a situation in which the Republican Party can debate and pass voter suppression laws at the state level with only a simple majority vote, but not allow the United States Senate to do the same?” Schumer has in the past said mainly that “all options are on the table” when it comes to pressing voting rights legislation, refraining from a direct threat on Senate rules. A group of more moderate Senate Democrats have been engaged in negotiations on rules changes with Manchin and Sinema and have reported some progress but no breakthrough. While Manchin on Sunday shattered Democratic plans to push forward on a sweeping social policy and climate change bill, he opened the door a crack to potential changes in Senate rules. “If you can make the Senate work better, the rules are something we’ve changed over the years; 232 years, there’s been rule changes,” Manchin said Sunday on Fox News. But he also suggested that he might be interested in more modest changes than Schumer and others are contemplating, saying he would continue to support the 60-vote, supermajority threshold to overcome a filibuster. Sinema has also drawn a line against partisan changes in the rules, but Democrats say they believe she would not want to be the lone holdout if Manchin were persuaded to relent on the legislative filibuster. Democrats knowledgeable about the internal deliberations say that many possible changes are under consideration, including weakening the filibuster against the preliminary “motion to proceed” to bring legislation to the floor for consideration. But in a more significant move, Democrats say they are also discussing a change that would clear the way for final action on a bill through a simple majority vote after guaranteeing opponents the opportunity to alter the legislation through a significant number of amendments. Instituting such a change would require the support of all 50 Democrats and the vote of Vice President Kamala Harris presiding to break a tie in the 50-50 Senate. Democrats say such a filibuster “carve out” would apply only to issues grounded in constitutional rights such as voting, but Republicans and others say it would inevitably be extended to other legislation, diminishing the overall power of the filibuster. The Democratic voting rights and rules change push would meet universal resistance from Republicans. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., the minority leader, last week accused Democrats of “rattling swords about changing the structure of the Senate” and commended Manchin for opposing it. “Changing the structure of the Senate in order to achieve a partisan advantage is a mistake for the Senate and a mistake for our country,” he said. Once used rarely, the filibuster has become a routine aspect of the Senate in recent decades and virtually all legislation now has to clear a 60-vote hurdle just to be debated on the floor, severely limiting what business can be taken up. Outraged over Republicans blocking President Barack Obama’s judicial nominees through regular filibusters, Democrats in 2013 took the procedural steps to allow most nominees to be confirmed with a simple majority vote. Republicans countered in 2017 by extending that rule to Supreme Court nominees, enabling President Donald Trump to install three high court justices. In a statement in the letter directed at Manchin, Schumer noted that Sen. Robert C. Byrd, a Senate stalwart whose seat Manchin occupies, said in 1979 that sometimes Senate rules that seemed appropriate “must be changed to reflect changed circumstance.” “I believe our constituents deserve to know which senators choose to hide behind ill-conceived and abused rules and which senators prefer to restore Senate floor procedures to better align with the founders’ intentions,” Schumer wrote.

Schumer will try to change Senate rules if GOP stalls voting bill

Worms are mostly harmless. All they do is quietly&nbsp;go&nbsp;about their business&nbsp;and crawling around. But something about them gives everyone chills. Bravest among&nbsp;us have shrieked like crazy when a worm, however small, has landed&nbsp;on them out of nowhere.

We know that Earth history has crazy things involved. Forget dinosaurs, mother nature seemed to have given life to other monstrosities that may certainly have made modern human life hell.

Falls into this list a worm literally weighing 50 kg! Most modern-day snakes don't weigh as much. But hey,&nbsp;pre-historic world was a crazy place.&nbsp;

A fossil, being called that of the&nbsp;largest millipede ever has been found. Millipedes are the same worms who have probably a thousand small legs to crawl around. This one is a massive thing.

The fossil was found on a beach in Northumberland, UK. This millipede is called Arthropleura. This giant nightmare was more than 8 feet long and weighed about 50 kg. It crawled the Earth 326 million years ago.

The fossil segment was found in 2018 when a sandstone block fell on to a beach in Howick Bay. Dr Neil Davies, from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences says that discovery of the fossil was completely a 'fluke'. He has been quoted by BBC.

Researchers believe that the place where the fossil was found was part of a river channel millions of years ago.

It's probably good that the worm is a fossil. Nobody would like an 8-foot monster with spider-like legs crawling around.

Fun Fact: Scientists think that the fossil is not the worm itself but the exoskeleton it shed when it was growing even bigger!

Worms are mostly harmless. All they do is quietly go about their business and crawling around. But something about them gives everyone chills. Bravest among us have shrieked like crazy when a worm, however small, has landed on them out of nowhere.

Worms are mostly harmless. All they do is quietly go about their business and crawling around. But something about them gives everyone chills. Bravest among us have shrieked like crazy when a worm, however small, has landed on them out of nowhere. We know that Earth history has crazy things involved. Forget dinosaurs, mother nature seemed to have given life to other monstrosities that may certainly have made modern human life hell. Falls into this list a worm literally weighing 50 kg! Most modern-day snakes don't weigh as much. But hey, pre-historic world was a crazy place. A fossil, being called that of the largest millipede ever has been found. Millipedes are the same worms who have probably a thousand small legs to crawl around. This one is a massive thing. The fossil was found on a beach in Northumberland, UK. This millipede is called Arthropleura. This giant nightmare was more than 8 feet long and weighed about 50 kg. It crawled the Earth 326 million years ago. The fossil segment was found in 2018 when a sandstone block fell on to a beach in Howick Bay. Dr Neil Davies, from Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences says that discovery of the fossil was completely a 'fluke'. He has been quoted by BBC. Researchers believe that the place where the fossil was found was part of a river channel millions of years ago. It's probably good that the worm is a fossil. Nobody would like an 8-foot monster with spider-like legs crawling around. Fun Fact: Scientists think that the fossil is not the worm itself but the exoskeleton it shed when it was growing even bigger!

Worm literally weighing 50 kg found, good thing it is a fossil now, eh?

Vikings have an aggressive image in popular perception. The warriors wearing their characteristic horned helmet really did have a fearsome reputation in northern Europe centuries ago. Their raids terrorised towns and villages.

Viking culture mainly flourished in Scandinavian countries. However, historians aren't sure about how this distict culture faded away. There are no definitive historical records.

But researchers now think that Vikings abandoned their settlements in Greenland due to rising sea levels. They reported this in recently held (December 15) American Geophysical Union’s fall meeting in New Orleans.

Vikings arrived in Greenland in the year 985. This was the medieval warm period. But climate changed in 1350 and Europe started experiencing what's called 'little ice age'&nbsp;that lasted well into the 19th century.

This resulted in Greenland's ice sheets expanding rapidly and sea levels rose.

But sea levels rise when the ice melts right? How can sea levels around Greenland rise when ice is being formed?

Ice sheets have massive weight. It has been seen in Greenland that when an ice sheet forms on ground, the ground gets pressed downwards due to enormous weight on it. This means the seawater gets chance to flood areas that were previously dry.

Expansion of ice sheets sounded death knell for their settlements in Greenland. The rising sea levels may have flooded towns, pastures, farms. Even the trade routes which were previously above water may have got submerged.&nbsp;

Vikings were a seafaring culture and hence their settlements were near the sea. It can be easily imagined that rising sea levels would have constituted a major problem for them in Greenland.

And it is perhaps why when a Norwegian missionary travelled to Greenland to spread Christianity among Viking descendants, he found ruins belonging to the culture that once mastered these seas and struck terror in hearts of its enemies.

Vikings have an aggressive image in popular perception. The warriors wearing their characteristic horned helmet really did have a fearsome reputation in northern Europe centuries ago.

Vikings have an aggressive image in popular perception. The warriors wearing their characteristic horned helmet really did have a fearsome reputation in northern Europe centuries ago. Their raids terrorised towns and villages. Viking culture mainly flourished in Scandinavian countries. However, historians aren't sure about how this distict culture faded away. There are no definitive historical records. But researchers now think that Vikings abandoned their settlements in Greenland due to rising sea levels. They reported this in recently held (December 15) American Geophysical Union’s fall meeting in New Orleans. Vikings arrived in Greenland in the year 985. This was the medieval warm period. But climate changed in 1350 and Europe started experiencing what's called 'little ice age' that lasted well into the 19th century. This resulted in Greenland's ice sheets expanding rapidly and sea levels rose. But sea levels rise when the ice melts right? How can sea levels around Greenland rise when ice is being formed? Ice sheets have massive weight. It has been seen in Greenland that when an ice sheet forms on ground, the ground gets pressed downwards due to enormous weight on it. This means the seawater gets chance to flood areas that were previously dry. Expansion of ice sheets sounded death knell for their settlements in Greenland. The rising sea levels may have flooded towns, pastures, farms. Even the trade routes which were previously above water may have got submerged. Vikings were a seafaring culture and hence their settlements were near the sea. It can be easily imagined that rising sea levels would have constituted a major problem for them in Greenland. And it is perhaps why when a Norwegian missionary travelled to Greenland to spread Christianity among Viking descendants, he found ruins belonging to the culture that once mastered these seas and struck terror in hearts of its enemies.

Viking culture in Greenland may have got destroyed due to rising sea

Antarctica is an icy world. Temperatures go unimaginably low in winters. You may have seen viral videos of researchers bringing hot noodles in open while in Antarctica and the boiling food freezing in literally some secionds. Yes, the continent supports life. Penguins and whales have called this habitat home for thousands of years. But the continent isn't exactly what comes to mind when someone says 'flourishing wildlife' or 'abundance of life'. The popular perception of Antarctica remains that of a cold unforgiving icy land that has claimed lives of many explorers and researchers.&nbsp;

But nature is wonderful. And life has the tenacity to hold on against most difficult of odds. A new discovery in Antarctica has proven (again) just that.

On the surface, Antarctica looks like an icy graveyard. But researchers found that abundant life had been thriving under the ice shelf for thousands of years.

Researchers from UK and Germany found life deep below Ekstrom ice shelf in Antarctica.

This included animals. Though they are mostly worms and other animals that consume algae, discovery of life deep withing the frozen continent is in itself a big thing. It was previously thought that this was not possible as hundreds of metres of ice sheets did not provide favourable conditions for life to flourish.

The scientists dug two boreholes. One went on for 192 metres through ice. The other went through 190 metres of ice. And below it, scientists found a thriving ecosystem of animal life. They found &nbsp;77 species from 49 different genera bryozoans.

Carbon dating yielded that the ecosystem had been thriving for 6000 years!

The researchers have published their results in the journal Current Biology.

Antarctica is an icy world. Temperatures go unimaginably low in winters. You may have seen viral videos of researchers bringing hot noodles in open while in Antarctica and the boiling food freezing in literally some secionds.

Antarctica is an icy world. Temperatures go unimaginably low in winters. You may have seen viral videos of researchers bringing hot noodles in open while in Antarctica and the boiling food freezing in literally some secionds. Yes, the continent supports life. Penguins and whales have called this habitat home for thousands of years. But the continent isn't exactly what comes to mind when someone says 'flourishing wildlife' or 'abundance of life'. The popular perception of Antarctica remains that of a cold unforgiving icy land that has claimed lives of many explorers and researchers. But nature is wonderful. And life has the tenacity to hold on against most difficult of odds. A new discovery in Antarctica has proven (again) just that. On the surface, Antarctica looks like an icy graveyard. But researchers found that abundant life had been thriving under the ice shelf for thousands of years. Researchers from UK and Germany found life deep below Ekstrom ice shelf in Antarctica. This included animals. Though they are mostly worms and other animals that consume algae, discovery of life deep withing the frozen continent is in itself a big thing. It was previously thought that this was not possible as hundreds of metres of ice sheets did not provide favourable conditions for life to flourish. The scientists dug two boreholes. One went on for 192 metres through ice. The other went through 190 metres of ice. And below it, scientists found a thriving ecosystem of animal life. They found 77 species from 49 different genera bryozoans. Carbon dating yielded that the ecosystem had been thriving for 6000 years! The researchers have published their results in the journal Current Biology.

Scientists surprised as abundant animal life found deep under Antarctica ice sheet

Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai on Sunday lashed out at Pakistan and called out what he said was "obvious propaganda against Afghanistan". Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in his speech at the summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation&nbsp;(OIC), said that Pakistan faced threat from Islamic State in Afghanistan.

Karzai said that IS has threatened Afghanistan from Pakistan.&nbsp;

In response to Imran Khan's address at the summit Karzai said Pakistan "should not intervene in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and should avoid speaking on behalf of Afghanistan at international forums."

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Pakistan's support to terrorists and terror organisation has been a well-established thing worldwide.

"if the Afghan government fails to counter-terrorism, other countries may face spillover," said Imran Khan during his speech.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/at-oic-pakistan-warns-of-grave-consequences-from-afghan-economic-crisis-438127">At OIC, Pakistan warns of 'grave consequences' from Afghan economic crisis</a>

Khan said that owing to a dearth of resources, if the Afghan government remained unable to counter terrorism, other countries may also face its spillover impact, reported Geo News.

He made these remarks during his keynote address at the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) being held in Islamabad.

Mentioning the presence of the Islamic State in Afghanistan, the prime minister said the only way to handle the terror outfit was a stable Afghanistan. He said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) was capable of carrying out international attacks, reported Geo News.

"The only way to handle the terror outfit is a stable Afghanistan," said Khan.

Afghanistan is currently facing economic crisis as its global assets abroad, mainly in US, have been frozen after Taliban rose to power. Even after 100 days of being in power, Taliban government has not gained worldwide recognition. International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suspended its ties with Afghanistan

Imran Khan in his speech also underscored the need for humanitarian aid to Kabul and said that if the world failed to act in a timely manner, Afghanistan could potentially become the "biggest man-made disaster."

Highlighting the collapsing hospitals, education sector, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the prime minister called for the world to take immediate action as Afghanistan was heading towards chaos, reported Geo News.

"Unless action is taken immediately, Afghanistan is heading for chaos. When it cannot pay salaries to public servants, doctors and nurses, any government is going to collapse. But chaos suits no one. It certainly does not suit the United States," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai on Sunday lashed out at Pakistan and called out what he said was "obvious propaganda against Afghanistan". Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in his speech at the summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said that Pakistan faced threat from Islamic State in Afghanistan.

Former Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai on Sunday lashed out at Pakistan and called out what he said was "obvious propaganda against Afghanistan". Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in his speech at the summit of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said that Pakistan faced threat from Islamic State in Afghanistan. Karzai said that IS has threatened Afghanistan from Pakistan. In response to Imran Khan's address at the summit Karzai said Pakistan "should not intervene in Afghanistan’s internal affairs and should avoid speaking on behalf of Afghanistan at international forums." × Pakistan's support to terrorists and terror organisation has been a well-established thing worldwide. "if the Afghan government fails to counter-terrorism, other countries may face spillover," said Imran Khan during his speech. Also Read | At OIC, Pakistan warns of 'grave consequences' from Afghan economic crisis Khan said that owing to a dearth of resources, if the Afghan government remained unable to counter terrorism, other countries may also face its spillover impact, reported Geo News. He made these remarks during his keynote address at the 17th Extraordinary Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) being held in Islamabad. Mentioning the presence of the Islamic State in Afghanistan, the prime minister said the only way to handle the terror outfit was a stable Afghanistan. He said the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) was capable of carrying out international attacks, reported Geo News. "The only way to handle the terror outfit is a stable Afghanistan," said Khan. Afghanistan is currently facing economic crisis as its global assets abroad, mainly in US, have been frozen after Taliban rose to power. Even after 100 days of being in power, Taliban government has not gained worldwide recognition. International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suspended its ties with Afghanistan Imran Khan in his speech also underscored the need for humanitarian aid to Kabul and said that if the world failed to act in a timely manner, Afghanistan could potentially become the "biggest man-made disaster." Highlighting the collapsing hospitals, education sector, and the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the prime minister called for the world to take immediate action as Afghanistan was heading towards chaos, reported Geo News. "Unless action is taken immediately, Afghanistan is heading for chaos. When it cannot pay salaries to public servants, doctors and nurses, any government is going to collapse. But chaos suits no one. It certainly does not suit the United States," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Former Afghan president Hamid Karzai slams Pakistani 'propaganda' on Afghanistan

A language is not just collection of words or sounds. Each one represents a unique world and culture that shapes the world in its own way. It is a repository of centuries of human experience, thoughts, emotions and more.

And this is why when a language is lost, a door is closed on humankind.

A study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution says that more than 1500 languages face the threat of becoming extinct by the end of this century. The study found that many factors put endangered languages at high risk.

There are estimated 6500 to 7000 languages currently spoken across the world. Researchers at Australian National University (ANI), who have carried out the study, say that more than half of the languages are under great threat.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/study-shows-that-away-from-human-touch-tropical-forests-can-regenerate-in-20-years-435723">Study shows that away from human touch, tropical forests can regenerate in 20 years</a> 
 
Study's co-author Felicity Meakins has been quoted in media reports as saying that language loss could triple in 40 years. This would mean loss of a language per month.

The study says that there was urgent need to invest in community-level documentation and bilingual education.

In addition to factors such as migration, financial reasons, politics has had bearing on the suppression of languages. The researchers note that indigenous languages in Australia were pushed towards extinction due to brutal colonial policies. The colonisers often handed punishments to indigenous language speakers for simply using their language. Such policies made it tough for generations to teach languages to children.

A language is not just collection of words or sounds. Each one represents a unique world and culture that shapes the world in its own way. It is a repository of centuries of human experience, thoughts, emotions and more.

A language is not just collection of words or sounds. Each one represents a unique world and culture that shapes the world in its own way. It is a repository of centuries of human experience, thoughts, emotions and more. And this is why when a language is lost, a door is closed on humankind. A study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution says that more than 1500 languages face the threat of becoming extinct by the end of this century. The study found that many factors put endangered languages at high risk. There are estimated 6500 to 7000 languages currently spoken across the world. Researchers at Australian National University (ANI), who have carried out the study, say that more than half of the languages are under great threat. Also Read | Study shows that away from human touch, tropical forests can regenerate in 20 years Study's co-author Felicity Meakins has been quoted in media reports as saying that language loss could triple in 40 years. This would mean loss of a language per month. The study says that there was urgent need to invest in community-level documentation and bilingual education. In addition to factors such as migration, financial reasons, politics has had bearing on the suppression of languages. The researchers note that indigenous languages in Australia were pushed towards extinction due to brutal colonial policies. The colonisers often handed punishments to indigenous language speakers for simply using their language. Such policies made it tough for generations to teach languages to children.

More than 1500 languages may be lost by end of century, says study

The European Commission said on Sunday that European Union countries will get additional 20 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine to fight Omicron virus that is fast spreading. The vaccines will be made available in first three months of year 2022.

Europe is currently bracing for a new Covid-19 wave driven by Omicron variant which is highly transmissible and mutated. The festive season of Christmas is fast approaching.

Many countries are ramping up their vaccination drives and reimposing travel restrictions and other curbs to try to put a break on infections weeks after the variant was first detected in South Africa.

Member states will get an additional five million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab in January, five million in February and 10 million in March, the Commission said in a statement.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-health-minister-says-it-may-be-too-late-to-react-to-omicron-as-covid-19-cases-continue-to-rise-438158">UK health minister says it may be 'too late to react' to Omicron as COVID-19 cases continue to rise</a>

"These doses come on top of the already scheduled 195 million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech, bringing the total number of deliveries in the first quarter to 215 million."

Full vaccination and boosters are "now even more urgent than ever" given the "expected rapid increase in infections due to the Omicron variant".

The EU is due to receive 650 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech jabs in total in 2022.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/now-germany-imposes-restrictions-on-uk-travellers-to-check-omicron-spread-438104">Now, Germany imposes restrictions on UK travellers to check Omicron spread</a>

Omicron is expected to become the dominant strain by mid January in the EU, where 67 percent of the population is fully vaccinated.

(With inputs from agencies)

The European Commission said on Sunday that European Union countries will get additional 20 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine to fight Omicron virus that is fast spreading.

The European Commission said on Sunday that European Union countries will get additional 20 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid vaccine to fight Omicron virus that is fast spreading. The vaccines will be made available in first three months of year 2022. Europe is currently bracing for a new Covid-19 wave driven by Omicron variant which is highly transmissible and mutated. The festive season of Christmas is fast approaching. Many countries are ramping up their vaccination drives and reimposing travel restrictions and other curbs to try to put a break on infections weeks after the variant was first detected in South Africa. Member states will get an additional five million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab in January, five million in February and 10 million in March, the Commission said in a statement. Also Read | UK health minister says it may be 'too late to react' to Omicron as COVID-19 cases continue to rise "These doses come on top of the already scheduled 195 million doses from Pfizer-BioNTech, bringing the total number of deliveries in the first quarter to 215 million." Full vaccination and boosters are "now even more urgent than ever" given the "expected rapid increase in infections due to the Omicron variant". The EU is due to receive 650 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech jabs in total in 2022. Also Read | Now, Germany imposes restrictions on UK travellers to check Omicron spread Omicron is expected to become the dominant strain by mid January in the EU, where 67 percent of the population is fully vaccinated. (With inputs from agencies)

To fight Omicron, EU to get 20 million extra vaccines

Auroras are mesmerising. Those who have seen it would tell you how the dance of colours across the sky makes us forget that it's just a phenomenon that can be scientifically explained.&nbsp;

Today if anyone wants to witness the Auroras, the person has to travel to countries closer to north or south pole. But there was a time in distant past when Auroras moved nearer to the equator. The resplendent dance of heavenly colours was visible from places on Earth that never witness it anymore.

Auroras are formed when solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field. Solar wind is a stream of solar particles. Earth's magnetism is strongest at the poles. This is why solar particles are directed towards poles and Auroras are visible in countries in far north or far south.

41,000 years ago Earth's magnetic field experienced&nbsp;a disturbance. The magnetic poles weakened. Axis of Earth's magnetic field tilted and solar particles were not attracted towards the polls anymore. They interacted with Earth's magnetic field at near-equatorial latitudes.

This meant that the play of colour that we see near poles today was very much visible at places nearer to equator. It took 1300 years for the magnetic field to regain its strength and tilt back.

Earth magnetic field&nbsp;also protects its atmosphere and life. So did weakening of magnetic field cause any harm to life 41,000 years ago? The researchers say yes, but maintain that more study was required to establish a a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

Auroras are mesmerising. Those who have seen it would tell you how the dance of colours across the sky makes us forget that it's just a phenomenon that can be scientifically explained.

Auroras are mesmerising. Those who have seen it would tell you how the dance of colours across the sky makes us forget that it's just a phenomenon that can be scientifically explained. Today if anyone wants to witness the Auroras, the person has to travel to countries closer to north or south pole. But there was a time in distant past when Auroras moved nearer to the equator. The resplendent dance of heavenly colours was visible from places on Earth that never witness it anymore. Auroras are formed when solar wind interacts with Earth's magnetic field. Solar wind is a stream of solar particles. Earth's magnetism is strongest at the poles. This is why solar particles are directed towards poles and Auroras are visible in countries in far north or far south. 41,000 years ago Earth's magnetic field experienced a disturbance. The magnetic poles weakened. Axis of Earth's magnetic field tilted and solar particles were not attracted towards the polls anymore. They interacted with Earth's magnetic field at near-equatorial latitudes. This meant that the play of colour that we see near poles today was very much visible at places nearer to equator. It took 1300 years for the magnetic field to regain its strength and tilt back. Earth magnetic field also protects its atmosphere and life. So did weakening of magnetic field cause any harm to life 41,000 years ago? The researchers say yes, but maintain that more study was required to establish a a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

41,000 years ago, Auroras could be seen from places nearer to equator

Thailand is considering reintroducing compulsory quarantine for foreign visitors coming into the country. This is being mulled to stem the spread of Omicron variant of coronavirus. Thailand's health ministry reported on Monday (December 20) that first case of Omicron infection arising from local transmission had been found in the country.

The first locally transmitted case was found in a Thai woman. The woman tested positive for Omicron infection after contracting the virus from her husband. Her husband is a Colombian who returned to Thailand from Nigeria in late November, a health ministry official told a daily briefing. The official added that both the husband and the wife had been fully vaccinated.

The public health ministry is likely to propose scrapping the quarantine waiver for vaccinated visitors. The rules may make hotel quarantine mandatory again. A 'sandbox' programme may also be implemented. This programme involves free movement in specific locations. Thai minister &nbsp;Anutin Charnvirakul gave more information about this.

The Thai minister's remarks come after Thailand reopened to foreign visitors in November, ending nearly 18 months of strict entry policies that contributed to a collapse in tourism, a key industry and economic driver that drew 40 million visitors in 2019.

Thailand is considering reintroducing compulsory quarantine for foreign visitors coming into the country. This is being mulled to stem the spread of Omicron variant of coronavirus.

Thailand is considering reintroducing compulsory quarantine for foreign visitors coming into the country. This is being mulled to stem the spread of Omicron variant of coronavirus. Thailand's health ministry reported on Monday (December 20) that first case of Omicron infection arising from local transmission had been found in the country. The first locally transmitted case was found in a Thai woman. The woman tested positive for Omicron infection after contracting the virus from her husband. Her husband is a Colombian who returned to Thailand from Nigeria in late November, a health ministry official told a daily briefing. The official added that both the husband and the wife had been fully vaccinated. The public health ministry is likely to propose scrapping the quarantine waiver for vaccinated visitors. The rules may make hotel quarantine mandatory again. A 'sandbox' programme may also be implemented. This programme involves free movement in specific locations. Thai minister Anutin Charnvirakul gave more information about this. The Thai minister's remarks come after Thailand reopened to foreign visitors in November, ending nearly 18 months of strict entry policies that contributed to a collapse in tourism, a key industry and economic driver that drew 40 million visitors in 2019.

Omicron: Thailand may reintroduce mandatory quarantine for foreign travellers

We all have seen alien movies. The space-faring adventurers often encounter them somewhere in the universe. The first conversation is always gibberish, with strange noises made by the aliens that can sound anything between a frightening hum to some electronic buzz that resembles children's video games. Creative imagination runs wild when it comes to representing alien worlds.

But if a legit space noise sounded not far away from these seemingly imaginative works, it's often scary. NASA has released noises captured near Jupiter's moon Ganymede.

Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system. It is so large that it size dwarfs Mercury, a full-fledged planet. Ganymede also has its own magnetic field, something that other moons in solar system can't boast of.

NASA's Juno spacecraft is in Jupiter's neighbourhood and making its observations. Earlier this year, Juno captured Ganymede's electromagnetic waves.

NASA has converted these waves into sound and has released what can be perhaps scientifically considered as sound of Ganymede. The eerie audio has been released. Check out

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Scientists believe that Ganymede has oceans below ice on its surface. They think that life may even exist in these alien waters. So was an alien heard calling out to humanity in the sound clip? Hear again and take a guess.

We all have seen alien movies. The space-faring adventurers often encounter them somewhere in the universe. The first conversation is always gibberish, with strange noises made by the aliens that can sound anything between a frightening hum to some electronic buzz that resembles children's video games.

We all have seen alien movies. The space-faring adventurers often encounter them somewhere in the universe. The first conversation is always gibberish, with strange noises made by the aliens that can sound anything between a frightening hum to some electronic buzz that resembles children's video games. Creative imagination runs wild when it comes to representing alien worlds. But if a legit space noise sounded not far away from these seemingly imaginative works, it's often scary. NASA has released noises captured near Jupiter's moon Ganymede. Ganymede is the largest moon in our solar system. It is so large that it size dwarfs Mercury, a full-fledged planet. Ganymede also has its own magnetic field, something that other moons in solar system can't boast of. NASA's Juno spacecraft is in Jupiter's neighbourhood and making its observations. Earlier this year, Juno captured Ganymede's electromagnetic waves. NASA has converted these waves into sound and has released what can be perhaps scientifically considered as sound of Ganymede. The eerie audio has been released. Check out × Scientists believe that Ganymede has oceans below ice on its surface. They think that life may even exist in these alien waters. So was an alien heard calling out to humanity in the sound clip? Hear again and take a guess.

NASA releases eerie sounds captured near Jupiter's moon Ganymede

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