Sirajuddin Haqqani, a US-listed terrorist and a senior figure in Afghanistan's Taliban government praised suicide bombers at a meeting with families of the 'martyrs' in Kabul. Haqqani is interior minister in the Taliban government. He carries a bounty of USD 10 million for his arrest.

Pro-Taliban social media accounts and local media on Tuesday published images of the minister praying and embracing men in a glitzy ballroom at an upscale hotel in Kabul.

"Haqqani praised the jihad and sacrifice of the martyrs and mujahideen" calling them the "heroes of Islam and the country", Afghan state broadcaster RTA reported.

It said Sirajuddin "stressed that we must refrain from any betrayal of the aspirations of the martyrs", and promised $125 and a plot of land for each family.

In January 2018, the Intercontinental Hotel in which the meeting was held was stormed by Taliban gunmen, who opened fire on guests and staff and took dozens hostage.

Formed by Sirajuddin's father Jalaluddin, the Haqqani network is the most feared faction of the Taliban, blamed for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan during the last two decades.

Thanks to their financial and military strength -- and a reputation for ruthlessness -- the network is considered semi-autonomous while remaining within the Taliban fold.

Suicide bomb attacks, or martyrdom operations as the Taliban called them, were a tactic first employed by the group in the early years of their insurgency against the former US-backed government, with the military and NATO convoys often targets.

(With inputs from agencies)

Sirajuddin Haqqani, a US-listed terrorist and a senior figure in Afghanistan's Taliban government praised suicide bombers at a meeting with families of the 'martyrs' in Kabul.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, a US-listed terrorist and a senior figure in Afghanistan's Taliban government praised suicide bombers at a meeting with families of the 'martyrs' in Kabul. Haqqani is interior minister in the Taliban government. He carries a bounty of USD 10 million for his arrest. Pro-Taliban social media accounts and local media on Tuesday published images of the minister praying and embracing men in a glitzy ballroom at an upscale hotel in Kabul. "Haqqani praised the jihad and sacrifice of the martyrs and mujahideen" calling them the "heroes of Islam and the country", Afghan state broadcaster RTA reported. It said Sirajuddin "stressed that we must refrain from any betrayal of the aspirations of the martyrs", and promised $125 and a plot of land for each family. In January 2018, the Intercontinental Hotel in which the meeting was held was stormed by Taliban gunmen, who opened fire on guests and staff and took dozens hostage. Formed by Sirajuddin's father Jalaluddin, the Haqqani network is the most feared faction of the Taliban, blamed for some of the deadliest attacks in Afghanistan during the last two decades. Thanks to their financial and military strength -- and a reputation for ruthlessness -- the network is considered semi-autonomous while remaining within the Taliban fold. Suicide bomb attacks, or martyrdom operations as the Taliban called them, were a tactic first employed by the group in the early years of their insurgency against the former US-backed government, with the military and NATO convoys often targets. (With inputs from agencies)

Sirajuddin Haqqani, top Taliban minister, praises suicide bombers

A London school has introduced a module on 'white privilege in the curriculum in an apparent move to sensitise the students about a social issue that still creates tension in western societies.

The course will reportedly include Meghan Markle experience with the British Royal Family and will also discuss themes in popular media that'll include all James Bond actors having been white.

The school, St Dunstan's charges 18,000 Pounds a year in fees.

The new element in the curriculum has reportedly been inspired by Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

The lessons on white privilege will start from Year Nine, when students are usually 13 to 14 years of age.

The course will “help all our young people... to unpick and better understand the complexities and sensitivities of a real and live issue that matters to them and to so much of the society they occupy,” said school headmaster Nicholas Hewlett as quoted by The Times.

"Thanks to @SianGriffiths6 for highlighting the new bespoke strand to our curriculum @StDunstansColl. Children need to unpick, explore and talk about social issues that matter. White privilege is an important topic that needs to be discussed openly, maturely and intelligently," he tweeted.

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Thanks to <a href="https://twitter.com/SianGriffiths6?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SianGriffiths6</a> for highlighting the new bespoke strand to our curriculum <a href="https://twitter.com/StDunstansColl?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StDunstansColl</a>. Children need to unpick, explore and talk about social issues that matter. White privilege is an important topic that needs to be discussed openly, maturely and intelligently.
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Actress Meghan Markle, who is married to Prince Harry said in a tell-all interview to Oprah Winfrey that an unnamed member of the British royal family enquired about skin colour of her then-unborn son, Archie. Markle and Prince Harry have since appeared to have been distant from the royal family.

A London school has introduced a module on 'white privilege in the curriculum in an apparent move to sensitise the students about a social issue that still creates tension in western societies.

A London school has introduced a module on 'white privilege in the curriculum in an apparent move to sensitise the students about a social issue that still creates tension in western societies. The course will reportedly include Meghan Markle experience with the British Royal Family and will also discuss themes in popular media that'll include all James Bond actors having been white. The school, St Dunstan's charges 18,000 Pounds a year in fees. The new element in the curriculum has reportedly been inspired by Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. The lessons on white privilege will start from Year Nine, when students are usually 13 to 14 years of age. The course will “help all our young people... to unpick and better understand the complexities and sensitivities of a real and live issue that matters to them and to so much of the society they occupy,” said school headmaster Nicholas Hewlett as quoted by The Times. "Thanks to @SianGriffiths6 for highlighting the new bespoke strand to our curriculum @StDunstansColl. Children need to unpick, explore and talk about social issues that matter. White privilege is an important topic that needs to be discussed openly, maturely and intelligently," he tweeted. Thanks to @SianGriffiths6 for highlighting the new bespoke strand to our curriculum @StDunstansColl. Children need to unpick, explore and talk about social issues that matter. White privilege is an important topic that needs to be discussed openly, maturely and intelligently. — Nicholas Hewlett (@StDunsHead) October 17, 2021 × Actress Meghan Markle, who is married to Prince Harry said in a tell-all interview to Oprah Winfrey that an unnamed member of the British royal family enquired about skin colour of her then-unborn son, Archie. Markle and Prince Harry have since appeared to have been distant from the royal family.

London school adds 'white privilege' course, will discuss Meghan Markle, James Bond

North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday (October 19) drew stern reactions from countries in the region and the United States. The UN condemned North Korea and called on it to "refrain from any further destabilizing acts."

"We are aware of the North Korean ballistic missile launch this morning into the Sea of Japan and are consulting closely with the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan," the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement, adding that "this event does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel, territory, or that of our allies."

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Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday said North Korea fired two ballistic missiles earlier in the day, and called that country's continued missile launches since last month "very regrettable."

The North Korean launch would be the latest weapons test by the country, which has pressed ahead with military development in the face of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.

"I'd rather not predict North Korea's intentions (of firing the missiles) from my point of view. But I think we must continue making efforts on grasping the situation and collecting information," Kishida told reporters at Fukushima station during a business trip.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-fired-one-ballistic-missile-towards-the-sea-of-japan-reports-421918">North Korea fired one ballistic missile towards the sea of Japan: Reports</a>

China meanwhile has appealed for restraint

"All parties concerned should focus on the overall situation, exercise restraint, commit to maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and carry on in the right direction of dialogue and consultation," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

South Korea, the bitter rival of North Korea, said that it was monitoring the situation.

"Our military is closely monitoring the situation and maintaining readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States, to prepare for possible additional launches," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday (October 19) drew stern reactions from countries in the region and the United States. The UN condemned North Korea and called on it to "refrain from any further destabilizing acts.

North Korea's missile launch on Tuesday (October 19) drew stern reactions from countries in the region and the United States. The UN condemned North Korea and called on it to "refrain from any further destabilizing acts." "We are aware of the North Korean ballistic missile launch this morning into the Sea of Japan and are consulting closely with the Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan," the US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement, adding that "this event does not pose an immediate threat to US personnel, territory, or that of our allies." × Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Tuesday said North Korea fired two ballistic missiles earlier in the day, and called that country's continued missile launches since last month "very regrettable." The North Korean launch would be the latest weapons test by the country, which has pressed ahead with military development in the face of international sanctions imposed over its nuclear weapons and missile programmes. "I'd rather not predict North Korea's intentions (of firing the missiles) from my point of view. But I think we must continue making efforts on grasping the situation and collecting information," Kishida told reporters at Fukushima station during a business trip. Also Read | North Korea fired one ballistic missile towards the sea of Japan: Reports China meanwhile has appealed for restraint "All parties concerned should focus on the overall situation, exercise restraint, commit to maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and carry on in the right direction of dialogue and consultation," said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. South Korea, the bitter rival of North Korea, said that it was monitoring the situation. "Our military is closely monitoring the situation and maintaining readiness posture in close cooperation with the United States, to prepare for possible additional launches," South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. (With inputs from agencies)

North Korea missile launch: US issues warning, China calls for restraint

Twitter account of Congress party unit in southern Indian state of Karnataka has deleted a tweet that called&nbsp;Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'angootha-chhaap' (illiterate). A political slugfest soon erupted after the tweet was posted on Monday (October 18).

"Congress built schools but Modi never went to study. Congress even set up schemes for adults to learn, Modi didn't learn there too. &nbsp;People who chose to beg for a living despite beggary being prohibited are today pushing citizens to beggary. Country is suffering because of "#angoothachhaap modi," read the tweet made in the state's Kannada language. The tweet has now been deleted.

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The tweet, seen as a personal attack on PM Modi, resulted in angry reactions from BJP.

“Only the Congress could stoop so low,” said Karnataka BJP spokesperson Malavika Avinash

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-man-wants-covid-certificate-without-pm-modis-picture-422025">Indian man wants Covid certificate without PM Modi's picture</a>

The Congress admitted that the tweet used unparliamentary language. Karnataka Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal admitted that tone of the tweet was 'unfortunate'. She said an inquiry would be conducted.&nbsp;

Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar said on Twitter later that the earlier tweet calling PM Modi illiterate fell shoft of "civil and parliamentary language". He blamed the tweet on a 'novice social media manager'.

"I have always believed that civil and parliamentary language is a non-negotiable pre-requisite for political discourse. An uncivil tweet made by a novice social media manager through the Karnataka Congress official Twitter handle is regretted and stands withdrawn," he tweeted.

The controversy erupted just ahead of bypolls in assembly constituencies of Sindagi and Hangal. The bypolls will take place on October 30.

Twitter account of Congress party unit in southern Indian state of Karnataka has deleted a tweet that called Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'angootha-chhaap' (illiterate).

Twitter account of Congress party unit in southern Indian state of Karnataka has deleted a tweet that called Prime Minister Narendra Modi 'angootha-chhaap' (illiterate). A political slugfest soon erupted after the tweet was posted on Monday (October 18). "Congress built schools but Modi never went to study. Congress even set up schemes for adults to learn, Modi didn't learn there too. People who chose to beg for a living despite beggary being prohibited are today pushing citizens to beggary. Country is suffering because of "#angoothachhaap modi," read the tweet made in the state's Kannada language. The tweet has now been deleted. The tweet, seen as a personal attack on PM Modi, resulted in angry reactions from BJP. “Only the Congress could stoop so low,” said Karnataka BJP spokesperson Malavika Avinash Also Read | Indian man wants Covid certificate without PM Modi's picture The Congress admitted that the tweet used unparliamentary language. Karnataka Congress spokesperson Lavanya Ballal admitted that tone of the tweet was 'unfortunate'. She said an inquiry would be conducted. Karnataka Congress chief DK Shivakumar said on Twitter later that the earlier tweet calling PM Modi illiterate fell shoft of "civil and parliamentary language". He blamed the tweet on a 'novice social media manager'. "I have always believed that civil and parliamentary language is a non-negotiable pre-requisite for political discourse. An uncivil tweet made by a novice social media manager through the Karnataka Congress official Twitter handle is regretted and stands withdrawn," he tweeted. The controversy erupted just ahead of bypolls in assembly constituencies of Sindagi and Hangal. The bypolls will take place on October 30.

Congress deletes tweet that called PM Modi 'illiterate'

Chief Minister of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand said on Tuesday that 11 more people were killed in the flood-like situation in the state taking the death toll to 16. Heavy rains have caused floods. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have been briefed on the situation in the state.

"Eleven people died today, while five were killed yesterday. Many people also are feared to be trapped under the debris. Rescue teams are working hard. We have sought help from the Army. Two Army choppers will deploy in Nanital and one in the Garhwal regions. Houses, bridges have been damaged at many places," said Dhami.

"Farmers have also suffered a loss due to flood and the amount of damage that has happened is also being assessed. I will also conduct aerial and on-site surveys," he said.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-logs-13058-new-covid-19-infections-lowest-rise-in-daily-cases-in-231-days-421951">India logs 13,058 new COVID-19 infections, lowest rise in daily cases in 231 days</a>

Dhami appealed to people to be patient as the government was doing all the possible things that were needed to be done.

"Due to heavy rains, the rescue team is facing difficulty but we will rescue everyone. The meteorological department has also said that from today the rain will be less, we appeal to all the people to not travel till the situation is normal," he added.

Following heavy rains, all gates of Nanak Sagar Dam in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar have been opened due to rise in water level.

The India Metrological Department has also predicted a significant reduction in rainfall activity from today in the state.

"Significant reduction in rainfall activity likely over Uttarakhand from today. Isolated to scattered rain/snow over Himachal Pradesh on 22-23 October, and isolated to scattered rainfall over Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, northwest Rajasthan on 23 October," said IMD

Earlier today, PM Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister to take stock of the situation arising due to heavy rains in the state. As a precautionary measure, the Badrinath Yatra has also been halted and passengers en route to Badrinath were stopped in safe places.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Chief Minister of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand said on Tuesday that 11 more people were killed in the flood-like situation in the state taking the death toll to 16.

Chief Minister of the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand said on Tuesday that 11 more people were killed in the flood-like situation in the state taking the death toll to 16. Heavy rains have caused floods. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have been briefed on the situation in the state. "Eleven people died today, while five were killed yesterday. Many people also are feared to be trapped under the debris. Rescue teams are working hard. We have sought help from the Army. Two Army choppers will deploy in Nanital and one in the Garhwal regions. Houses, bridges have been damaged at many places," said Dhami. "Farmers have also suffered a loss due to flood and the amount of damage that has happened is also being assessed. I will also conduct aerial and on-site surveys," he said. Also Read | India logs 13,058 new COVID-19 infections, lowest rise in daily cases in 231 days Dhami appealed to people to be patient as the government was doing all the possible things that were needed to be done. "Due to heavy rains, the rescue team is facing difficulty but we will rescue everyone. The meteorological department has also said that from today the rain will be less, we appeal to all the people to not travel till the situation is normal," he added. Following heavy rains, all gates of Nanak Sagar Dam in Uttarakhand's Udham Singh Nagar have been opened due to rise in water level. The India Metrological Department has also predicted a significant reduction in rainfall activity from today in the state. "Significant reduction in rainfall activity likely over Uttarakhand from today. Isolated to scattered rain/snow over Himachal Pradesh on 22-23 October, and isolated to scattered rainfall over Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, northwest Rajasthan on 23 October," said IMD Earlier today, PM Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister to take stock of the situation arising due to heavy rains in the state. As a precautionary measure, the Badrinath Yatra has also been halted and passengers en route to Badrinath were stopped in safe places. (With inputs from agencies)

Heavy rains, floods kill 16 in India's Uttarakhand

These days, there’s a lot to be anxious about. There’s a lot to fear. There’s the environmental wreckage that’s increasingly evident around the world, the fragile state of our political systems, the mutating virus making the very air we breathe dangerous.

It’s perhaps no surprise that a horror renaissance has happened in film over the last decade. If many other aspects of one’s day are a running list of terrors or involve creeping dread and consuming paranoia, then the eyes and mind, already accustomed to that, will expect it from whatever page or screen they land on.

In 2016, Victor LaValle’s novella “The Ballad of Black Tom” showed racism and institutional violence through the lens of Lovecraftian cosmic horror (while pushing back against the racism and xenophobia built into H.P. Lovecraft’s original work). The year after that, Jordan Peele’s horror film “Get Out” literalized the oppression and occupation of Black people. As Americans have taken to the streets to protest police violence, a raft of films and shows have explored the horrors of the nation’s racist history, culminating recently in “Candyman.”

On Friday, there’s the release of “Halloween Kills,” which adds to the 43-year-old franchise. We’re all still watching the religiously tinged “Midnight Mass” on television, and the bookshelves are bleeding this year from Chuck Wendig’s “The Book of Accidents,” about a dark past that continues to haunt, next week’s collection of tragic tales “Ghost Sequences” by A.C. Wise and “Nothing but Blackened Teeth” by Cassandra Khaw, a story, in part, about soul-sucking relationships.

Horror fans have always known that the genre is more than a nightmare carnival. Horror is, and always has been, in dialogue with the anxieties and fears of its time. During the Great Depression, the misery and economic strife were embodied by monsters from literature and folklore, as Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and the Mummy made their way across the movie screen. In the 1980s, when paranoia about the Cold War and fears of nuclear winter reached a fever pitch, a slate of suburban terrors assured us that our insecurities were valid, that we were not, in fact, safe in our homes. Enter Jason Voorhees, with his machete and hockey mask; Michael Myers, with his mechanic overalls and chef’s knife; and Freddy Krueger, with his fedora and very sharp fingers.

But horror doesn’t just reflect our fears and anxieties back at us. It also helps us process them. Horror is a fun house mirror everybody can use. It exaggerates, distorts and distills whatever it is we’re trying to work through, then delivers it back to us as entertainment.

Horror can offer comfort, can offer solace. Not because it’s an accurate representation or dramatization of our turmoil — who’s that intentional with their media consumption? — but because horror comes packaged for us in 400-page novels, in two-hour movies, in stories that end. Whether those books or films end happily or not, they end. For all of us who sense no end to our own daily horror stories, that’s what’s important.

And even amid the jump scares and houses that are obviously haunted, horror can get you thinking, can get you talking. That’s the key to what horror can do. Horror can shine a light on things we’d rather ignore, can confront us with our failings. Horror can challenge us to do better. “Get Out” didn’t solve discrimination or racism — Black people are still dying in traffic stops — but it did, at least for a couple of hours, make a lot of people see the racism that lurks beneath even the most liberal-seeming facades. And that’s success. That’s art.

Every horror story, whether an ecological disaster or a vampire encounter, a haunted house or a plague, is basically a long, dark tunnel that the story’s “final girl” is trying to survive.

It’s terrible in this tunnel, no doubt. The cars she clambers over are coffins. There are unnatural creatures shrieking from the ceiling. The walls are crumbling and seeping and maybe even undulating, and this muck she’s having to wade through is noxious, but — but way down there, through the dark, almost too distant to see, so far away that it has to be taken on faith that it’s actually there, is a point of light.

That’s where she’s headed. The light might be a train, or some monstrous angler fish (horror writers can be cruel like that), but struggling ahead toward that light is what a horror story can gift you.

Never mind that this virus keeps reaching back for variant after variant. Never mind that our politicians are so entrenched in their camps that the common good is just a dim memory. Never mind our monstrous ecological footprint.

In the long, terrible tunnel of her horror story, our heroine keeps struggling ahead, placing one foot in front of the other. Despite the damage, the terror, the hopelessness, the pain, despite her friends and family falling all around her, our heroine does that thing that humans are so, so good at: She keeps going.

If she can struggle on against those insurmountable odds, then, well — so can we, right?

These days, there’s a lot to be anxious about. There’s a lot to fear. There’s the environmental wreckage that’s increasingly evident around the world, the fragile state of our political systems, the mutating virus making the very air we breathe dangerous.

These days, there’s a lot to be anxious about. There’s a lot to fear. There’s the environmental wreckage that’s increasingly evident around the world, the fragile state of our political systems, the mutating virus making the very air we breathe dangerous. It’s perhaps no surprise that a horror renaissance has happened in film over the last decade. If many other aspects of one’s day are a running list of terrors or involve creeping dread and consuming paranoia, then the eyes and mind, already accustomed to that, will expect it from whatever page or screen they land on. In 2016, Victor LaValle’s novella “The Ballad of Black Tom” showed racism and institutional violence through the lens of Lovecraftian cosmic horror (while pushing back against the racism and xenophobia built into H.P. Lovecraft’s original work). The year after that, Jordan Peele’s horror film “Get Out” literalized the oppression and occupation of Black people. As Americans have taken to the streets to protest police violence, a raft of films and shows have explored the horrors of the nation’s racist history, culminating recently in “Candyman.” On Friday, there’s the release of “Halloween Kills,” which adds to the 43-year-old franchise. We’re all still watching the religiously tinged “Midnight Mass” on television, and the bookshelves are bleeding this year from Chuck Wendig’s “The Book of Accidents,” about a dark past that continues to haunt, next week’s collection of tragic tales “Ghost Sequences” by A.C. Wise and “Nothing but Blackened Teeth” by Cassandra Khaw, a story, in part, about soul-sucking relationships. Horror fans have always known that the genre is more than a nightmare carnival. Horror is, and always has been, in dialogue with the anxieties and fears of its time. During the Great Depression, the misery and economic strife were embodied by monsters from literature and folklore, as Dracula, Frankenstein’s monster and the Mummy made their way across the movie screen. In the 1980s, when paranoia about the Cold War and fears of nuclear winter reached a fever pitch, a slate of suburban terrors assured us that our insecurities were valid, that we were not, in fact, safe in our homes. Enter Jason Voorhees, with his machete and hockey mask; Michael Myers, with his mechanic overalls and chef’s knife; and Freddy Krueger, with his fedora and very sharp fingers. But horror doesn’t just reflect our fears and anxieties back at us. It also helps us process them. Horror is a fun house mirror everybody can use. It exaggerates, distorts and distills whatever it is we’re trying to work through, then delivers it back to us as entertainment. Horror can offer comfort, can offer solace. Not because it’s an accurate representation or dramatization of our turmoil — who’s that intentional with their media consumption? — but because horror comes packaged for us in 400-page novels, in two-hour movies, in stories that end. Whether those books or films end happily or not, they end. For all of us who sense no end to our own daily horror stories, that’s what’s important. And even amid the jump scares and houses that are obviously haunted, horror can get you thinking, can get you talking. That’s the key to what horror can do. Horror can shine a light on things we’d rather ignore, can confront us with our failings. Horror can challenge us to do better. “Get Out” didn’t solve discrimination or racism — Black people are still dying in traffic stops — but it did, at least for a couple of hours, make a lot of people see the racism that lurks beneath even the most liberal-seeming facades. And that’s success. That’s art. Every horror story, whether an ecological disaster or a vampire encounter, a haunted house or a plague, is basically a long, dark tunnel that the story’s “final girl” is trying to survive. It’s terrible in this tunnel, no doubt. The cars she clambers over are coffins. There are unnatural creatures shrieking from the ceiling. The walls are crumbling and seeping and maybe even undulating, and this muck she’s having to wade through is noxious, but — but way down there, through the dark, almost too distant to see, so far away that it has to be taken on faith that it’s actually there, is a point of light. That’s where she’s headed. The light might be a train, or some monstrous angler fish (horror writers can be cruel like that), but struggling ahead toward that light is what a horror story can gift you. Never mind that this virus keeps reaching back for variant after variant. Never mind that our politicians are so entrenched in their camps that the common good is just a dim memory. Never mind our monstrous ecological footprint. In the long, terrible tunnel of her horror story, our heroine keeps struggling ahead, placing one foot in front of the other. Despite the damage, the terror, the hopelessness, the pain, despite her friends and family falling all around her, our heroine does that thing that humans are so, so good at: She keeps going. If she can struggle on against those insurmountable odds, then, well — so can we, right?

You’re Anxious. You’re Afraid. And I Have Just the Solution.

Earth rotates around itself once a day. For Sun this duration is of 1 month. Other planets in our solar system have varying durations. But a single rotation in 25 seconds? That's some serious speed for a celestial body.

A white dwarf star has been found to perform this extreme space ballet. The star is named (rather heartlessly it would appear), LAMOST J0240+1952. It is 2000 lightyears away from Earth.

It is a white dwarf star. These stars are extremely dense. The star has size of Earth but has mass equal to the Sun. So much material packed in such a small space makes the surface gravity of the star ridiculously extreme. If a pebble is lifted from the surface of the star and dropped from a mere few feet, it would collide with the surface of the star at a speed equal to thousands of miles an hour! The white dwarf is located in Aries constellation.

The massive rotation rate of this star was discovered on August 7 by astronomer Ingrid Pelisoli of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. She and her team noticed a particular 'blip' from this star. The blip came every 25 seconds. It was subsequently found that the blip is due to rotation of the star around itself.

A red dwarf was found to be revolving around the white dwarf. The red dwarf is the reason why the white dwarf has such a mind boggling speed of rotation.

Earth rotates around itself once a day. For Sun this duration is of 1 month. Other planets in our solar system have varying durations. But a single rotation in 25 seconds?

Earth rotates around itself once a day. For Sun this duration is of 1 month. Other planets in our solar system have varying durations. But a single rotation in 25 seconds? That's some serious speed for a celestial body. A white dwarf star has been found to perform this extreme space ballet. The star is named (rather heartlessly it would appear), LAMOST J0240+1952. It is 2000 lightyears away from Earth. It is a white dwarf star. These stars are extremely dense. The star has size of Earth but has mass equal to the Sun. So much material packed in such a small space makes the surface gravity of the star ridiculously extreme. If a pebble is lifted from the surface of the star and dropped from a mere few feet, it would collide with the surface of the star at a speed equal to thousands of miles an hour! The white dwarf is located in Aries constellation. The massive rotation rate of this star was discovered on August 7 by astronomer Ingrid Pelisoli of the University of Warwick in Coventry, England. She and her team noticed a particular 'blip' from this star. The blip came every 25 seconds. It was subsequently found that the blip is due to rotation of the star around itself. A red dwarf was found to be revolving around the white dwarf. The red dwarf is the reason why the white dwarf has such a mind boggling speed of rotation.

This star spins around itself once every 25 seconds

Olaf Scholz, leader of Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) moved a step closer to succeed Angela Merkel as the next chancellor of Germany. On Friday, he announced that he and the leaders of two smaller parties aimed to move into formal coalition talks.

SPD, the Greens and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) said that exploratory talks into government formation had been constructive and this allowed them to establish a roadmap for more formal negotiations.

Party committees are expected to vote over the weekend on whether to do so, bringing them closer to forming a "traffic light" alliance after their respective red, yellow and green colours - the first of its kind at federal level.

The Greens and FDP have kept open the option of turning to the conservatives, who have been in office for the last 16 years, should talks with the SPD stumble. The conservatives criticised the road map as contradictory and short on detail.

But polls show most voters back a traffic light alliance and even senior conservatives have given up on leading the next government.

"A new start is possible with the three parties coming together," Scholz told a news conference.

"If parties that are so different could agree on joint challenges and solutions, then that would be an opportunity to unite our country," said FDP leader Christian Lindner.

It offered "a chance that a possible coalition could be greater than the sum of its parts," he added.

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Olaf Scholz, leader of Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) moved a step closer to succeed Angela Merkel as the next chancellor of Germany. On Friday, he announced that he and the leaders of two smaller parties aimed to move into formal coalition talks.

Olaf Scholz, leader of Germany's centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) moved a step closer to succeed Angela Merkel as the next chancellor of Germany. On Friday, he announced that he and the leaders of two smaller parties aimed to move into formal coalition talks. SPD, the Greens and pro-business Free Democrats (FDP) said that exploratory talks into government formation had been constructive and this allowed them to establish a roadmap for more formal negotiations. Party committees are expected to vote over the weekend on whether to do so, bringing them closer to forming a "traffic light" alliance after their respective red, yellow and green colours - the first of its kind at federal level. The Greens and FDP have kept open the option of turning to the conservatives, who have been in office for the last 16 years, should talks with the SPD stumble. The conservatives criticised the road map as contradictory and short on detail. But polls show most voters back a traffic light alliance and even senior conservatives have given up on leading the next government. "A new start is possible with the three parties coming together," Scholz told a news conference. "If parties that are so different could agree on joint challenges and solutions, then that would be an opportunity to unite our country," said FDP leader Christian Lindner. It offered "a chance that a possible coalition could be greater than the sum of its parts," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Germany: Olaf Scholz inches closer to succeed Merkel as chancellor

Turkey said on Thursday that it was ready to help the Taliban so that Afghanistan overcame humanitarian crisis but it would not recognise the government. Turkey hosted the Taliban delegation for the first time. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu received his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Taliban is seeking to gain international recognition.

"We have told the international community about the importance of engagement with the current Taliban administration. In fact, recognition and engagement are two different things," Cavusoglu said. "The Afghan economy should not collapse. Therefore, we have said the countries that froze Afghanistan's accounts abroad should act more flexibly so that salaries can be paid."

Turkish foreign minister met Taliban delegation in Ankara.

"We gave advice to the Taliban administration. We once again said they should be inclusive for the unity of the country. We talked about the importance of including people in the administration from ethnic groups other than the Taliban," Xinhua news agency quoted Cavusoglu as saying&nbsp;

"We said this is not just a demand from Western countries, but also the advice of the Islamic world," Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying.

Meanwhile, the Taliban delegation asked Turkey to continue its support in humanitarian aid and development projects

The Taliban officials pledged to support the Afghan refugees who want to return to the country from Turkey, he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Turkey said on Thursday that it was ready to help the Taliban so that Afghanistan overcame humanitarian crisis but it would not recognise the government. Turkey hosted the Taliban delegation for the first time.

Turkey said on Thursday that it was ready to help the Taliban so that Afghanistan overcame humanitarian crisis but it would not recognise the government. Turkey hosted the Taliban delegation for the first time. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu received his Afghan counterpart Amir Khan Muttaqi. Taliban is seeking to gain international recognition. "We have told the international community about the importance of engagement with the current Taliban administration. In fact, recognition and engagement are two different things," Cavusoglu said. "The Afghan economy should not collapse. Therefore, we have said the countries that froze Afghanistan's accounts abroad should act more flexibly so that salaries can be paid." Turkish foreign minister met Taliban delegation in Ankara. "We gave advice to the Taliban administration. We once again said they should be inclusive for the unity of the country. We talked about the importance of including people in the administration from ethnic groups other than the Taliban," Xinhua news agency quoted Cavusoglu as saying "We said this is not just a demand from Western countries, but also the advice of the Islamic world," Xinhua news agency quoted the Minister as saying. Meanwhile, the Taliban delegation asked Turkey to continue its support in humanitarian aid and development projects The Taliban officials pledged to support the Afghan refugees who want to return to the country from Turkey, he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Turkey ready to help Afghanistan, but won't recognise Taliban government

Searching for alien life is a quest filled with excitement for both, scientists and artists. Universe may have its secrets and planets full of life billions of lightyears away from us but a very promising candidate (other than Earth) to harbour life is right here in our solar system.&nbsp;

Enter Europa, one of four moon of the planet Jupiter. The frigid moon has an icy shell that upto 25 kilometres thick. An below this, scientists think there are vast liquid oceans 60 to 150 kilometres deep. And where there is water, there is chance of life.

But NASA's Hubble telescope has found water vapour on the frigid moon. Observations made by Hubble between 1999 and 2015 have suggested presence long-term presence of a water vapor atmosphere only in Europa's 'trailing atmosphere - &nbsp;that portion of the moon that is always opposite its direction of motion along its orbit'.

NASA says that cause of this asymmetry, why the water vapour is found in only one hemisphere and not the other, is not yet fully understood.

"This detection paves the way for in-depth studies of Europa by future probes including NASA's Europa Clipper and the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission from the European Space Agency (ESA). Understanding the formation and evolution of Jupiter and its moons also helps astronomers gain insights into Jupiter-like planets around other stars," sayss NASA.

These observations have been published in journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Searching for alien life is a quest filled with excitement for both, scientists and artists. Universe may have its secrets and planets full of life billions of lightyears away from us but a very promising candidate (other than Earth) to harbour life is right here in our solar system.

Searching for alien life is a quest filled with excitement for both, scientists and artists. Universe may have its secrets and planets full of life billions of lightyears away from us but a very promising candidate (other than Earth) to harbour life is right here in our solar system. Enter Europa, one of four moon of the planet Jupiter. The frigid moon has an icy shell that upto 25 kilometres thick. An below this, scientists think there are vast liquid oceans 60 to 150 kilometres deep. And where there is water, there is chance of life. But NASA's Hubble telescope has found water vapour on the frigid moon. Observations made by Hubble between 1999 and 2015 have suggested presence long-term presence of a water vapor atmosphere only in Europa's 'trailing atmosphere - that portion of the moon that is always opposite its direction of motion along its orbit'. NASA says that cause of this asymmetry, why the water vapour is found in only one hemisphere and not the other, is not yet fully understood. "This detection paves the way for in-depth studies of Europa by future probes including NASA's Europa Clipper and the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission from the European Space Agency (ESA). Understanding the formation and evolution of Jupiter and its moons also helps astronomers gain insights into Jupiter-like planets around other stars," sayss NASA. These observations have been published in journal Geophysical Research Letters.

Hubble telescope spots water vapour on Jupiter's icy moon

An appeals court in Iran on Saturday upheld one-year prison term for British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as per her lawyer who was quoted by an Iranian news website

"The appeals court has approved the lower court's verdict without holding a hearing," attorney Hojjat Kermani told the Emtedad website.

An Iranian court had sentenced Zaghari-Ratcliffe to a new term in jail in April. She faced charges of propaganda against Iran's ruling system. The new sentence came just a month after she finished a prior five-year sentence.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested at a Tehran airport in April 2016 and later convicted of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment.

There was no immediate official comment from Iran's judiciary on the appeals court decision.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe's family and the foundation have denied the charges. The foundation is a charity that operates independently of media firm Thomson Reuters and its news subsidiary Reuters.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who served out most of her first sentence in Tehran's Evin prison, was released in March 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and kept under house arrest. In March 2021, she was released from house arrest but she was summoned to court again on the new charge.

British lawmaker Tulip Siddiq said she had spoken to Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband Richard.

"Nazanin has lost her latest appeal and her sentence of 1 year plus 1 year travel ban is upheld with no court hearing. She could now be returned to prison at any time," Siddiq said in a tweet, urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene.

(With inputs from agencies)

An appeals court in Iran on Saturday upheld one-year prison term for British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as per her lawyer who was quoted by an Iranian news website "The appeals court has approved the lower court's verdict without holding a hearing," attorney Hojjat Kermani told the Emtedad website.

An appeals court in Iran on Saturday upheld one-year prison term for British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe as per her lawyer who was quoted by an Iranian news website "The appeals court has approved the lower court's verdict without holding a hearing," attorney Hojjat Kermani told the Emtedad website. An Iranian court had sentenced Zaghari-Ratcliffe to a new term in jail in April. She faced charges of propaganda against Iran's ruling system. The new sentence came just a month after she finished a prior five-year sentence. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was arrested at a Tehran airport in April 2016 and later convicted of plotting to overthrow the clerical establishment. There was no immediate official comment from Iran's judiciary on the appeals court decision. Zaghari-Ratcliffe's family and the foundation have denied the charges. The foundation is a charity that operates independently of media firm Thomson Reuters and its news subsidiary Reuters. Zaghari-Ratcliffe, who served out most of her first sentence in Tehran's Evin prison, was released in March 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic and kept under house arrest. In March 2021, she was released from house arrest but she was summoned to court again on the new charge. British lawmaker Tulip Siddiq said she had spoken to Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband Richard. "Nazanin has lost her latest appeal and her sentence of 1 year plus 1 year travel ban is upheld with no court hearing. She could now be returned to prison at any time," Siddiq said in a tweet, urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to intervene. (With inputs from agencies)

Iranian court upholds jail term for Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, says lawyer

When it comes to art and artistic expression, a debate always rages as to where the boundaries of freedom give way to so-called 'obscenity'. In digital age and in times of social media, though the general acceptance and understanding appears to have improved, art still finds itself at odds with online rules of propriety.

Tired of 'censorship' of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram among others, Vienna tourism board has opened an account on OnlyFans, the adults-only platform. Tourism board has taken this decision to protest against the traditionally dominant social platforms.

OnlyFans was started in 2016. It is the only social platform that allows depiction of nudity.

Vienna museums have recently been sparring with social media networks over posts of their artwork. In July this year, TikTok account of Albertina was suspended and later blocked for posts containing Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki's artwork that showed a female breast.

In 2018, Natural History Museum's photograph was deemed pornographic by Facebook and was removed.

The Leopold Museum faced such trouble as well.

Vienna tourism board's spokesperson has been mentioned in media reports as terming actions by the social media giants as "unfair and frustrating"

All the artworks that earlier found themselves in the crosshairs of social media giants are now fully available on the OnlyFans account.

When it comes to art and artistic expression, a debate always rages as to where the boundaries of freedom give way to so-called 'obscenity'. In digital age and in times of social media, though the general acceptance and understanding appears to have improved, art still finds itself at odds with online rules of propriety.

When it comes to art and artistic expression, a debate always rages as to where the boundaries of freedom give way to so-called 'obscenity'. In digital age and in times of social media, though the general acceptance and understanding appears to have improved, art still finds itself at odds with online rules of propriety. Tired of 'censorship' of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram among others, Vienna tourism board has opened an account on OnlyFans, the adults-only platform. Tourism board has taken this decision to protest against the traditionally dominant social platforms. OnlyFans was started in 2016. It is the only social platform that allows depiction of nudity. Vienna museums have recently been sparring with social media networks over posts of their artwork. In July this year, TikTok account of Albertina was suspended and later blocked for posts containing Japanese photographer Nobuyoshi Araki's artwork that showed a female breast. In 2018, Natural History Museum's photograph was deemed pornographic by Facebook and was removed. The Leopold Museum faced such trouble as well. Vienna tourism board's spokesperson has been mentioned in media reports as terming actions by the social media giants as "unfair and frustrating" All the artworks that earlier found themselves in the crosshairs of social media giants are now fully available on the OnlyFans account.

Tired of 'censorship' on nudes, Vienna museums open OnlyFans account

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