Pandora papers have hit headlines everywhere in the world and have sent shockwaves through the global elite&nbsp;as their investments worth millions, most of them suspicious and made with tax avoidance in mind, have been leaked. The list includes politicians, sports stars, royal personalities and more. As per Indian Express, more than 300 Indians find their names mentioned in the Pandora papers.

Here are some of the high profile names that have been made public so far

Sachin Tendulkar

The cricket legend has found his name embroiled in the leak. Sachin and members of his family were reportedly beneficiaries of an offshore entity set up in British Virgin Islands. The assets were liquidated in 2016 after Panama papers leak. The assets are reportedly worth USD 8.6 million.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pandora-papers-largest-leak-of-offshore-data-in-history-explained-417996">Pandora Papers: Largest leak of offshore data in history explained</a>

Sachin Tendulkar Foundation's CEO has been quoted in media reports as saying that all investments were lawful and legitimate.

Anil Ambani

Anil Ambani, the business magnate who is chairman of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) has also been mentioned. Indian Express says that Ambani and ADAG Group representatives own at least 18 offshore companies in Jersey, British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Cyprus.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pandora-papers-live-update-tendulkar-shakira-king-of-jordan-putin-named-in-leak-418058">Click here for LIVE updates on Pandora papers leak</a>

Interestingly,&nbsp;Anil Ambani declared bankruptcy in a court in UK and claimed that his net worth was zero. The claim was made in February 2020 during his dispute with three&nbsp;Chinese banks. The court had voiced its skepticism over this

Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

The biotech entrepreneur has been mentioned in connection with her husband John McCallum Marshall Shaw who has come on radar. He is a British citizen and a key person associated with a trust he set up was barred by the Securities and Exchanges Board of India (Sebi) for insider trading in July 2021.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pandora-papers-king-of-jordans-property-empire-reportedly-worth-over-100-million-418040">Pandora papers: King of Jordan's property empire reportedly worth over $100 million</a>

Kunal Ashok Kashyap, the person in question, was the ‘Protector’ of The Deanstone Trust, set up in New Zealand in July 2015 by Mauritius-based Glentec International, the ‘Settlor’. Regulatory authorities were not aware of this.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pandora-papers-biocons-kiran-mazumdar-shaw-says-husbands-offshore-trust-bonafide-and-legitimate-418103">Pandora papers: Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw says husband's offshore trust 'bonafide and legitimate'</a>

Fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi's sister

Purvi Modi, sister of fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, reportedly set up a firm in British Virgin Islands. The trust was set up to act as a corporate protector of another trust formed through the Trident Trust Company, Singapore.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pandora-papers-how-nirav-modis-sister-purvi-opened-a-firm-in-british-virgin-islands-418099">Also Read:&nbsp;How Nirav Modi's sister Purvi opened a firm in British Virgin Islands</a>

Nirav Modi fled India in January 2018. He is wanted in the&nbsp;Punjab National Bank scam case.

Jackie Shroff

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/shakira-to-sachin-tendulkar-famous-names-emerge-in-the-investigation-of-pandora-papers-418007">Shakira to Sachin Tendulkar: Famous names emerge in the investigation of Pandora Papers</a>

Pandora papers reportedly mention Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff as being the prime beneficiary of a trust set up in New Zealand by his mother-in-law. The trust has a Swiss bank account. It also owned offshore company registered in British Virgin Islands.

Satish Sharma

Captain Satish Sharma, a Congress leader who was close to the Gandhi family has his name mentioned in Pandora papers as well. Sharma had offshore entities and properties. He, along with some members of his family were beneficiary of a trust named&nbsp;Jan Zegers Trust.

Sharma passed away in February this year.

Watch this space for more.

Pandora papers have hit headlines everywhere in the world and have sent shockwaves through the global elite as their investments worth millions, most of them suspicious and made with tax avoidance in mind, have been leaked.

Pandora papers have hit headlines everywhere in the world and have sent shockwaves through the global elite as their investments worth millions, most of them suspicious and made with tax avoidance in mind, have been leaked. The list includes politicians, sports stars, royal personalities and more. As per Indian Express, more than 300 Indians find their names mentioned in the Pandora papers. Here are some of the high profile names that have been made public so far Sachin Tendulkar The cricket legend has found his name embroiled in the leak. Sachin and members of his family were reportedly beneficiaries of an offshore entity set up in British Virgin Islands. The assets were liquidated in 2016 after Panama papers leak. The assets are reportedly worth USD 8.6 million. Also Read | Pandora Papers: Largest leak of offshore data in history explained Sachin Tendulkar Foundation's CEO has been quoted in media reports as saying that all investments were lawful and legitimate. Anil Ambani Anil Ambani, the business magnate who is chairman of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) has also been mentioned. Indian Express says that Ambani and ADAG Group representatives own at least 18 offshore companies in Jersey, British Virgin Islands (BVI) and Cyprus. Click here for LIVE updates on Pandora papers leak Interestingly, Anil Ambani declared bankruptcy in a court in UK and claimed that his net worth was zero. The claim was made in February 2020 during his dispute with three Chinese banks. The court had voiced its skepticism over this Biocon Founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw The biotech entrepreneur has been mentioned in connection with her husband John McCallum Marshall Shaw who has come on radar. He is a British citizen and a key person associated with a trust he set up was barred by the Securities and Exchanges Board of India (Sebi) for insider trading in July 2021. Also Read | Pandora papers: King of Jordan's property empire reportedly worth over $100 million Kunal Ashok Kashyap, the person in question, was the ‘Protector’ of The Deanstone Trust, set up in New Zealand in July 2015 by Mauritius-based Glentec International, the ‘Settlor’. Regulatory authorities were not aware of this. Also Read | Pandora papers: Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw says husband's offshore trust 'bonafide and legitimate' Fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi's sister Purvi Modi, sister of fugitive jeweller Nirav Modi, reportedly set up a firm in British Virgin Islands. The trust was set up to act as a corporate protector of another trust formed through the Trident Trust Company, Singapore. Also Read: How Nirav Modi's sister Purvi opened a firm in British Virgin Islands Nirav Modi fled India in January 2018. He is wanted in the Punjab National Bank scam case. Jackie Shroff Also Read | Shakira to Sachin Tendulkar: Famous names emerge in the investigation of Pandora Papers Pandora papers reportedly mention Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff as being the prime beneficiary of a trust set up in New Zealand by his mother-in-law. The trust has a Swiss bank account. It also owned offshore company registered in British Virgin Islands. Satish Sharma Captain Satish Sharma, a Congress leader who was close to the Gandhi family has his name mentioned in Pandora papers as well. Sharma had offshore entities and properties. He, along with some members of his family were beneficiary of a trust named Jan Zegers Trust. Sharma passed away in February this year. Watch this space for more.

Pandora papers leak: Anil Ambani, Sachin Tendulkar, Jackie Shroff named, check list of other high-profile Indian names

After a tumultuous week in Congress, during which deep divisions in the Democratic Party delayed progress on part of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda, debate spilled over into the weekend as the party braced for intense negotiations in the weeks ahead.

Progressives on Sunday flatly rejected the latest demands from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a key swing vote for Democrats, to shrink Biden’s domestic policy agenda by more than half and to insert a provision to ensure that the federal government does not fund abortions.

Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said progressives would not agree to reduce Biden’s 10-year, $3.5 trillion social safety net and climate bill to $1.5 trillion, as Manchin requested.

“That’s not going to happen,” Jayapal said on CNN's “State of the Union.” “That’s too small to get our priorities in. It’s going to be somewhere between $1.5 and $3.5, and I think the White House is working on that right now. Remember: What we want to deliver is child care, paid leave, climate change.”

Manchin said in an interview with National Review last week that he was insisting that the legislation include the Hyde Amendment, which states that Medicaid will not pay for an abortion unless the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.

The Hyde Amendment has been reauthorized every year since 1976, but Biden did not include it in his latest budget proposal. During the presidential race, his campaign initially said he supported the amendment, but he later reversed course and condemned it.

Jayapal, who was one of three members of Congress who testified last week about their personal experiences of having an abortion, said she opposed Manchin’s demand.

“The Hyde Amendment is something the majority of the country does not support,” she said.

However, Jayapal and other progressives said they were willing to compromise on the package’s price tag. Several said they were discussing whether to cut certain programs from their agenda entirely or to reduce the duration of the bill’s funding — to five years from 10 years, for example.

“We can front-load the benefits and have less years,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on “Fox News Sunday.”

Jayapal said that progressives were willing to explore shortening the length of some components of the funding bill to decrease its cost, but that new clean-energy standards needed to stay in the legislation for a decade.

“It takes time to cut carbon emissions,” she said.

Debate has raged on Capitol Hill over the past week over Biden’s domestic agenda. The nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus blocked a House vote on his $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which is favored by the Democrats’ centrist wing. The more liberal lawmakers sought leverage to secure passage of the president’s larger $3.5 trillion domestic policy bill, which some centrist Democrats have not endorsed.

With slim majorities in both chambers of Congress, nearly every Democratic vote is needed to pass both bills.

Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and majority leader, have assured the Congressional Progressive Caucus that both bills will advance as part of a “two-track” process.

“We’re trying to pass some of the most significant legislation to help working families — throughout New York and around the country — that’s been done since Franklin D. Roosevelt,” Schumer said at a news conference in New York City on Sunday. “It takes a little time. I believe we’re on track to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill as well as the reconciliation Build Back Better bill, and our goal is to get both bills done in the next month.”

In a letter to lawmakers Saturday, Pelosi urged passage of the infrastructure bill by the end of the month and signaled that Democratic leaders were continuing to negotiate the broader social policy and climate bill with Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., two party holdouts who are needed to pass legislation in the Senate.

“Again, we will and must pass both bills soon,” Pelosi wrote. “We have the responsibility and the opportunity to do so.”

Sinema on Saturday released a statement condemning the delay of the infrastructure vote, calling it a “failure” and “deeply disappointing for communities across our country.”

“Denying Americans millions of good-paying jobs, safer roads, cleaner water, more reliable electricity and better broadband only hurts everyday families,” she said.

But Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chair of the Budget Committee, expressed confidence in the progressives’ negotiating position, pointing to signals from the White House that their faction was right to push for a more ambitious legislative agenda.

“We’ve got the president of the United States on our side,” Sanders said on ABC's “This Week” on Sunday. “Got 96% of the members of the Democratic caucus in the House on our side. We got all but two senators at this point in the Democratic caucus on our side. We’re going to win this thing.”

Cedric Richmond, a senior adviser to Biden, predicted that both liberals and centrists would have to give some to reach a deal.

“People will be disappointed. People will not get everything we want,” he said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” “We’re going to fight until we get both bills.”

Speaking on “State of the Union,” Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 Senate Democrat, agreed that some big choices lie ahead.

“We have to ask that very fundamental question,” he said. “Should we do everything to a limited degree, or should we really invest ourselves in the most important things?”

After a tumultuous week in Congress, during which deep divisions in the Democratic Party delayed progress on part of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda, debate spilled over into the weekend as the party braced for intense negotiations in the weeks ahead.

After a tumultuous week in Congress, during which deep divisions in the Democratic Party delayed progress on part of President Joe Biden’s economic agenda, debate spilled over into the weekend as the party braced for intense negotiations in the weeks ahead. Progressives on Sunday flatly rejected the latest demands from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., a key swing vote for Democrats, to shrink Biden’s domestic policy agenda by more than half and to insert a provision to ensure that the federal government does not fund abortions. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., and chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said progressives would not agree to reduce Biden’s 10-year, $3.5 trillion social safety net and climate bill to $1.5 trillion, as Manchin requested. “That’s not going to happen,” Jayapal said on CNN's “State of the Union.” “That’s too small to get our priorities in. It’s going to be somewhere between $1.5 and $3.5, and I think the White House is working on that right now. Remember: What we want to deliver is child care, paid leave, climate change.” Manchin said in an interview with National Review last week that he was insisting that the legislation include the Hyde Amendment, which states that Medicaid will not pay for an abortion unless the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest. The Hyde Amendment has been reauthorized every year since 1976, but Biden did not include it in his latest budget proposal. During the presidential race, his campaign initially said he supported the amendment, but he later reversed course and condemned it. Jayapal, who was one of three members of Congress who testified last week about their personal experiences of having an abortion, said she opposed Manchin’s demand. “The Hyde Amendment is something the majority of the country does not support,” she said. However, Jayapal and other progressives said they were willing to compromise on the package’s price tag. Several said they were discussing whether to cut certain programs from their agenda entirely or to reduce the duration of the bill’s funding — to five years from 10 years, for example. “We can front-load the benefits and have less years,” Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., said on “Fox News Sunday.” Jayapal said that progressives were willing to explore shortening the length of some components of the funding bill to decrease its cost, but that new clean-energy standards needed to stay in the legislation for a decade. “It takes time to cut carbon emissions,” she said. Debate has raged on Capitol Hill over the past week over Biden’s domestic agenda. The nearly 100-member Congressional Progressive Caucus blocked a House vote on his $1 trillion infrastructure bill, which is favored by the Democrats’ centrist wing. The more liberal lawmakers sought leverage to secure passage of the president’s larger $3.5 trillion domestic policy bill, which some centrist Democrats have not endorsed. With slim majorities in both chambers of Congress, nearly every Democratic vote is needed to pass both bills. Biden, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and majority leader, have assured the Congressional Progressive Caucus that both bills will advance as part of a “two-track” process. “We’re trying to pass some of the most significant legislation to help working families — throughout New York and around the country — that’s been done since Franklin D. Roosevelt,” Schumer said at a news conference in New York City on Sunday. “It takes a little time. I believe we’re on track to pass both the bipartisan infrastructure bill as well as the reconciliation Build Back Better bill, and our goal is to get both bills done in the next month.” In a letter to lawmakers Saturday, Pelosi urged passage of the infrastructure bill by the end of the month and signaled that Democratic leaders were continuing to negotiate the broader social policy and climate bill with Manchin and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., two party holdouts who are needed to pass legislation in the Senate. “Again, we will and must pass both bills soon,” Pelosi wrote. “We have the responsibility and the opportunity to do so.” Sinema on Saturday released a statement condemning the delay of the infrastructure vote, calling it a “failure” and “deeply disappointing for communities across our country.” “Denying Americans millions of good-paying jobs, safer roads, cleaner water, more reliable electricity and better broadband only hurts everyday families,” she said. But Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chair of the Budget Committee, expressed confidence in the progressives’ negotiating position, pointing to signals from the White House that their faction was right to push for a more ambitious legislative agenda. “We’ve got the president of the United States on our side,” Sanders said on ABC's “This Week” on Sunday. “Got 96% of the members of the Democratic caucus in the House on our side. We got all but two senators at this point in the Democratic caucus on our side. We’re going to win this thing.” Cedric Richmond, a senior adviser to Biden, predicted that both liberals and centrists would have to give some to reach a deal. “People will be disappointed. People will not get everything we want,” he said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” “We’re going to fight until we get both bills.” Speaking on “State of the Union,” Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., the No. 2 Senate Democrat, agreed that some big choices lie ahead. “We have to ask that very fundamental question,” he said. “Should we do everything to a limited degree, or should we really invest ourselves in the most important things?”

Progressives stand firm on priorities as infrastructure debate continues

Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks who stirred controversy in 2007 over his depiction of Prophet Mohammed as a dog died in a car accident on Sunday. The 75-year-old cartoonist and two police officers were killed as the car they were travelling in collided with an oncoming truck.

Swedish police have ruled out the possibility of a foul play.

"We want to completely exclude an external act targeting the car in which Lars Vilks found himself," Stefan Sinteus, chief of the South Sweden regional investigation unit, told a press conference.

"There is nothing to indicate that, but we want to be certain so we can rule it out," he added.&nbsp;

Police said they have yet to determine the reason why the vehicle that was carrying Vilks and the two officers swerved off the road, breaking through a metal barrier before hitting a truck travelling in the opposite direction in the oncoming lane. A tyre explosion is one of the hypotheses.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-has-sweden-become-the-silicon-valley-of-europe-despite-having-one-of-the-highest-tax-rates-in-the-world-404603">How has Sweden become the Silicon Valley of Europe despite having one of the highest tax rates in the world?</a>

Both vehicles then caught fire and all three passengers died at the scene. The driver of the truck was injured and taken to hospital where he was questioned by investigators.&nbsp;

75-year-old Vilks lived under almost continuous police protection due to numerous threats and attacks from Islamists after his 2007 caricature depicting Mohammed as a dog was published in a Swedish newspaper.

But on Monday police said there had been no new concrete threats against him recently.

On February 14, 2015, a young Danish man of Palestinian origin opened fire when he tried to storm a debate on freedom of expression in Copenhagen, organised after the deadly attack on the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

Vilks escaped unharmed but a 55-year-old Danish film director and a guard at Copenhagen synagogue were both shot dead by the gunman, who was himself killed in a stand-off with Danish police.

(With inputs from agencies)

Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks who stirred controversy in 2007 over his depiction of Prophet Mohammed as a dog died in a car accident on Sunday. The 75-year-old cartoonist and two police officers were killed as the car they were travelling in collided with an oncoming truck.

Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks who stirred controversy in 2007 over his depiction of Prophet Mohammed as a dog died in a car accident on Sunday. The 75-year-old cartoonist and two police officers were killed as the car they were travelling in collided with an oncoming truck. Swedish police have ruled out the possibility of a foul play. "We want to completely exclude an external act targeting the car in which Lars Vilks found himself," Stefan Sinteus, chief of the South Sweden regional investigation unit, told a press conference. "There is nothing to indicate that, but we want to be certain so we can rule it out," he added. Police said they have yet to determine the reason why the vehicle that was carrying Vilks and the two officers swerved off the road, breaking through a metal barrier before hitting a truck travelling in the opposite direction in the oncoming lane. A tyre explosion is one of the hypotheses. Also Read | How has Sweden become the Silicon Valley of Europe despite having one of the highest tax rates in the world? Both vehicles then caught fire and all three passengers died at the scene. The driver of the truck was injured and taken to hospital where he was questioned by investigators. 75-year-old Vilks lived under almost continuous police protection due to numerous threats and attacks from Islamists after his 2007 caricature depicting Mohammed as a dog was published in a Swedish newspaper. But on Monday police said there had been no new concrete threats against him recently. On February 14, 2015, a young Danish man of Palestinian origin opened fire when he tried to storm a debate on freedom of expression in Copenhagen, organised after the deadly attack on the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Vilks escaped unharmed but a 55-year-old Danish film director and a guard at Copenhagen synagogue were both shot dead by the gunman, who was himself killed in a stand-off with Danish police. (With inputs from agencies)

Swedish cartoonist who depicted Prophet Mohammed as dog dies in car crash

About 700 passengers travelling from UK to New Delhi were sent to 10-day mandatory quarantine after landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday. The passengers were sent to quarantine post RT-PCR test at the airport. The step to send passengers to quarantine has been taken in accordance with Indian Government's stance of 'reciprocal measures' for UK nationals.

The new visa conditions have been implemented from Sunday midnight onwards. A senior government official confirmed that a total of three flights from the UK arrived at IGI airport till Monday afternoon that carried around 700 passengers, including UK nationals. As per the new rules, all passengers have to undergo a compulsory RT-PCR test followed by a 10-days quarantine at home or the destination address.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/children-with-comorbidities-to-be-prioritised-for-vaccination-in-india-418003">Children with comorbidities to be prioritised for vaccination in India</a>

"A team of Delhi government is deployed at the airport to carry out the process. They are completing the formalities like getting the address of the passenger where he/she will be staying during their arrival in Delhi. Another team will be checking if the person is adhering to the quarantine rules or not," said the official.&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-logs-20799-fresh-covid-cases-180-deaths-418062">India logs 20,799 fresh Covid cases, 180 deaths</a>

He added that all preparations were done to avoid any inconvenience to the passengers, especially to UK citizens. As per the new rules, all UK nationals flying into the country will have to undertake an RT-PCR test 72 hours prior to their departure, irrespective of their vaccination status.&nbsp;

They will also be required to take a Covid-19 test on arrival and ten days of quarantine period after landing. India has already withdrawn the e-visas facility to the UK and Canadian nationals. They have to apply for a regular stamp visa to visit India. The steps were taken after these countries have posed restrictions on the entry of Indian nationals.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

About 700 passengers travelling from UK to New Delhi were sent to 10-day mandatory quarantine after landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday.

About 700 passengers travelling from UK to New Delhi were sent to 10-day mandatory quarantine after landing at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday. The passengers were sent to quarantine post RT-PCR test at the airport. The step to send passengers to quarantine has been taken in accordance with Indian Government's stance of 'reciprocal measures' for UK nationals. The new visa conditions have been implemented from Sunday midnight onwards. A senior government official confirmed that a total of three flights from the UK arrived at IGI airport till Monday afternoon that carried around 700 passengers, including UK nationals. As per the new rules, all passengers have to undergo a compulsory RT-PCR test followed by a 10-days quarantine at home or the destination address. Also Read | Children with comorbidities to be prioritised for vaccination in India "A team of Delhi government is deployed at the airport to carry out the process. They are completing the formalities like getting the address of the passenger where he/she will be staying during their arrival in Delhi. Another team will be checking if the person is adhering to the quarantine rules or not," said the official. Also Read | India logs 20,799 fresh Covid cases, 180 deaths He added that all preparations were done to avoid any inconvenience to the passengers, especially to UK citizens. As per the new rules, all UK nationals flying into the country will have to undertake an RT-PCR test 72 hours prior to their departure, irrespective of their vaccination status. They will also be required to take a Covid-19 test on arrival and ten days of quarantine period after landing. India has already withdrawn the e-visas facility to the UK and Canadian nationals. They have to apply for a regular stamp visa to visit India. The steps were taken after these countries have posed restrictions on the entry of Indian nationals. (With inputs from agencies)

Hundreds of passengers from UK sent to 10-day quarantine at New Delhi airport

That space is filled with breathtaking visual treats is something that is commonly known. But who knew space sounded divine? We may have grown up on tv shows and movies using the usual zip-zap-zoom to represent what they thought were sounds in space. But now NASA has put all speculations to rest by posting a video that is simply marvellous.

The video contains sound coming from centre of our milky way galaxy. The amazing and soothing sound clip posted by NASA is sure to keep you transfixed and even put you in a zen mode. The sound clip has been made using a technique called data sonification.

"...This sonification of the Milky Way's center combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Spac Telescope, and @nasachandraxray...." says NASA in its Instagram post.

"...The light of objects located towards the top of the image is pitched higher, while the intensity of the light controls the volume. Stars and compact sources are converted to individual notes while extended clouds of gas and dust produce an evolving drone," the space agency explains further.

Listen to the sublime cosmic music

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Understandably, the post has more than 200,000 views. An Instagram user, clearly impressed by the music has even asked NASA to 'drop on Spotify in comments. His comment alone has got 66 likes.

That space is filled with breathtaking visual treats is something that is commonly known. But who knew space sounded divine? We may have grown up on tv shows and movies using the usual zip-zap-zoom to represent what they thought were sounds in space.

That space is filled with breathtaking visual treats is something that is commonly known. But who knew space sounded divine? We may have grown up on tv shows and movies using the usual zip-zap-zoom to represent what they thought were sounds in space. But now NASA has put all speculations to rest by posting a video that is simply marvellous. The video contains sound coming from centre of our milky way galaxy. The amazing and soothing sound clip posted by NASA is sure to keep you transfixed and even put you in a zen mode. The sound clip has been made using a technique called data sonification. "...This sonification of the Milky Way's center combines data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the Spitzer Spac Telescope, and @nasachandraxray...." says NASA in its Instagram post. "...The light of objects located towards the top of the image is pitched higher, while the intensity of the light controls the volume. Stars and compact sources are converted to individual notes while extended clouds of gas and dust produce an evolving drone," the space agency explains further. Listen to the sublime cosmic music View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hubble Space Telescope (@nasahubble) × Understandably, the post has more than 200,000 views. An Instagram user, clearly impressed by the music has even asked NASA to 'drop on Spotify in comments. His comment alone has got 66 likes.

'Cosmic Music': Check out NASA post on 'heavenly' sounds from galaxy's centre

World Animal Day 2021 (October 4) is perhaps a good time to reflect that thousands of species of birds and animals have gone extinct till now. The rate of extinction is such that even now, several species go extinct literally every day. This not only is bad for the environment but one day may even hurt mankind due to severely disturbed balance of nature. Serious efforts are needed to stop the worrying trend.

Fortunately, scientists are doing what they can to bring these animals back into the wild. Even when some species went extinct in the wild, scientists used translocation and captive breeding to make these species roam the wilds again.

However, this is easier said than done and a whole lot of precautions, research and data gathering is required before a species is successfully reintroduced in wild.

It's not just a matter of breeding an animal in captivity and then simply releasing it in wild. Reintroduction into the wild takes place in phases due to variety of reasons.

Foremost is the consideration that reintroduction should not disturb balance of the wild ecosystem the animal went extinct from. Once an animal goes extinct from its wild habitat, the ecosystem changes in order to adapt to the absence. New food chains may gradually develop and reintroduction of the animal may disturb the delicate balance again. Conservationists need to take into account threat to and from the animal that is being reintroduced.

However, all the conservation efforts over decades are gradually paying off. A study conducted in 2020 says that conservation action between 1993 and 2020 saved up to 48 species of birds and mammals from extinction.

Examples of some of these animals are Eurasian lynx, Tasmanian devil, Przewalski's horse, Red wolves and Eurasian beaver

World Animal Day 2021 (October 4) is perhaps a good time to reflect that thousands of species of birds and animals have gone extinct till now. The rate of extinction is such that even now, several species go extinct literally every day.

World Animal Day 2021 (October 4) is perhaps a good time to reflect that thousands of species of birds and animals have gone extinct till now. The rate of extinction is such that even now, several species go extinct literally every day. This not only is bad for the environment but one day may even hurt mankind due to severely disturbed balance of nature. Serious efforts are needed to stop the worrying trend. Fortunately, scientists are doing what they can to bring these animals back into the wild. Even when some species went extinct in the wild, scientists used translocation and captive breeding to make these species roam the wilds again. However, this is easier said than done and a whole lot of precautions, research and data gathering is required before a species is successfully reintroduced in wild. It's not just a matter of breeding an animal in captivity and then simply releasing it in wild. Reintroduction into the wild takes place in phases due to variety of reasons. Foremost is the consideration that reintroduction should not disturb balance of the wild ecosystem the animal went extinct from. Once an animal goes extinct from its wild habitat, the ecosystem changes in order to adapt to the absence. New food chains may gradually develop and reintroduction of the animal may disturb the delicate balance again. Conservationists need to take into account threat to and from the animal that is being reintroduced. However, all the conservation efforts over decades are gradually paying off. A study conducted in 2020 says that conservation action between 1993 and 2020 saved up to 48 species of birds and mammals from extinction. Examples of some of these animals are Eurasian lynx, Tasmanian devil, Przewalski's horse, Red wolves and Eurasian beaver

World Animal Day 2021: Conservation efforts bring animals back from extinction in wild

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of biotechnology major Biocon Limited on Monday came out in defence of her husband John McCallum Marshall Shaw who has been named in Pandora papers. She said that her husband's offshore trust was 'bonafide and legitimate' and accused media of 'wrongly' implicating it.

"Media stories reporting on Pandora Papers wrongly implicate my husband's offshore trust, which is a bonafide, legitimate trust and is managed by Independent Trustees. No Indian resident holds "the key" to the trust as alleged in these stories," Mazumdar-Shaw tweeted.

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Media stories reporting on Pandora Papers wrongly implicate my husband’s offshore trust, which is a bonafide, legitimate trust and is managed by Independent Trustees. No Indian resident holds “the key” to the trust as alleged in these stories.
— Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (@kiranshaw) <a href="https://twitter.com/kiranshaw/status/1444864531654594560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Mazumdar-Shaw's name finds a mention in Pandora papers along with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/pandora-papers-leak-anil-ambani-sachin-tendulkar-jackie-shroff-named-check-list-of-other-high-profile-indian-names-418066">more than 300 Indians</a> including ADAG chief Anil Ambani, legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff and other.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pandora-papers-why-is-sachin-tendulkars-name-mentioned-in-report-that-reveals-financial-secrets-418001">Pandora Papers: Why is Sachin Tendulkar's name mentioned in report that reveals financial secrets?</a>

Millions of leaked documents dubbed as the 'Pandora Papers' by a worldwide journalistic partnership on Sunday claimed to have uncovered financial secrets of current and former world leaders, politicians and public officials in 91 countries and territories.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pandora-papers-largest-leak-of-offshore-data-in-history-explained-417996">Pandora Papers: Largest leak of offshore data in history explained</a>

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which involved the BBC and 'The Guardian' newspaper in the UK and 'The Indian Express' in India among 150 media outlets in its investigation, claims it obtained the trove of more than 11.9 million confidential files to find secret financial dealings of many super-rich.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of biotechnology major Biocon Limited on Monday came out in defence of her husband John McCallum Marshall Shaw who has been named in Pandora papers.

Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson of biotechnology major Biocon Limited on Monday came out in defence of her husband John McCallum Marshall Shaw who has been named in Pandora papers. She said that her husband's offshore trust was 'bonafide and legitimate' and accused media of 'wrongly' implicating it. "Media stories reporting on Pandora Papers wrongly implicate my husband's offshore trust, which is a bonafide, legitimate trust and is managed by Independent Trustees. No Indian resident holds "the key" to the trust as alleged in these stories," Mazumdar-Shaw tweeted. Media stories reporting on Pandora Papers wrongly implicate my husband’s offshore trust, which is a bonafide, legitimate trust and is managed by Independent Trustees. No Indian resident holds “the key” to the trust as alleged in these stories. — Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (@kiranshaw) October 4, 2021 × Mazumdar-Shaw's name finds a mention in Pandora papers along with more than 300 Indians including ADAG chief Anil Ambani, legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff and other. Also Read | Pandora Papers: Why is Sachin Tendulkar's name mentioned in report that reveals financial secrets? Millions of leaked documents dubbed as the 'Pandora Papers' by a worldwide journalistic partnership on Sunday claimed to have uncovered financial secrets of current and former world leaders, politicians and public officials in 91 countries and territories. Also Read | Pandora Papers: Largest leak of offshore data in history explained The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which involved the BBC and 'The Guardian' newspaper in the UK and 'The Indian Express' in India among 150 media outlets in its investigation, claims it obtained the trove of more than 11.9 million confidential files to find secret financial dealings of many super-rich. (With inputs from agencies)

Pandora papers: Biocon's Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw says husband's offshore trust 'bonafide and legitimate'

For a century, for billions of urban people worldwide, getting around has meant boarding a bus powered by diesel or an auto rickshaw that runs on gasoline, or among the affluent, a car.

Today, a quiet transformation is underway. Berlin, Bogotá, Colombia, and several other cities are taking creative steps to cut gas and diesel from their public transit systems. They are doing so despite striking differences in geography, politics and economics that complicate the transformation.

Berlin is reviving electric tram lines that were ripped out when the Berlin Wall went up. Bogotá is building cable cars that cut through the clouds to connect working-class communities perched on faraway hills. Bergen, a city by the fjords in western Norway, is moving its public ferries away from diesel toward batteries — a remarkable shift in a petrostate that has for decades enriched itself from the sale of oil and gas and that now wants to be a leader in marine vessels for the electric age.

Bergen’s buses, too, are now electric, supplied by Chinese bus-makers that have seized on the market in cities as far afield as Los Angeles and Santiago, Chile. The change is audible. “You can hear voices again in the streets,” said Jon Askeland, mayor of the county that includes Bergen.

Urban transportation is central to the effort to slow climate change. Home to more than half the world’s population, cities account for more than two-thirds of global carbon dioxide emissions. And transportation is often the largest, and fastest growing, source, making it imperative to not only encourage more people to get out of their cars and into mass transit, but also to make transit itself less polluting and more efficient.

According to C40, a coalition of around 100 urban governments trying to address climate change, transportation accounts for one-third of a city’s carbon dioxide emissions, on average, outstripping other sources such as heating, industry and waste.

It has not all been smooth sailing. In Costa Rica, for instance, private bus operators are divided on the national efforts to electrify mass transit. In Chinese cities, such as Shenzhen, which has a fully electric bus fleet, the electricity itself still comes mostly from coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. And everywhere it is expensive to make the shift.

At the moment, only 16% of city buses worldwide are electric. The electric switch will need to accelerate, and cities will have to make mass transit more attractive, so fewer people rely on automobiles.

“It has become a reasonable position to advocate for less space for cars,” said Felix Creutzig, a transportation specialist at the Mercator research center in Berlin. “Ten years ago, it was not even allowed to be said. But now you can say it.”

The biggest challenge has been faced by cities that most need to make the shift: the most crowded and polluted metropolises of Asia and Africa, where people rely on informal mass transit such as diesel minivans or motorcycle taxis.

But where cities are succeeding, they are finding that electrifying public transit can solve more than just climate problems. It can clean the air, reduce traffic jams and, ideally, make getting around town easier for ordinary people, which is why some politicians have staked their reputations on revamping transit. In many cases, city governments have been able to take climate action faster than their national governments.

“It requires political clout,” Claudia López, mayor of Bogotá, said in an interview. “For the last 25 years, Bogotá has been condemned to depend on diesel buses. That’s irrational in the 21st century.”

Berlin: Bringing Back the Trams

Ingmar Streese called it “a historical mistake.”

When the Berlin Wall went up, half of Berlin’s electric tram lines came down.

By 1967, when Streese was 3 years old, West Berlin had ripped out nearly all the tracks of die Elektrische — The Electric. Cars took over the roads.

Now, 30 years after the fall of the wall, as Germans confront the perils of climate change, there are growing demands to reclaim the roads from cars for walkers, bicyclists and users of public transit.

Enter die Elektrische. Again.

The mistake of the 1960s “is now being corrected,” said Streese, a Green party politician and Berlin’s permanent secretary for the environment and transport.

Berlin, along with several European cities, including Lisbon, Portugal, and Dublin, are reviving trams not only to clean the air but to curb emissions to meet the European Union’s legally binding climate goals. Those goals require a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared with 1990 levels.

Still, the politics of taking space away from cars is tricky. Berlin, with 1.2 million cars, has enacted a congestion tax, but it applies only to a tiny slice of the city. It is all part of a broader effort to improve public transit, including by electrifying all buses by 2030, expanding metro and suburban trains, adding bike lanes and building almost 50 miles of tram lines by 2035.

The trams are not universally liked. Critics point out they are noisy, rattling along crowded streets day and night. They are slower than subways, and in the era of car-shares and electric scooters, old-fashioned.

Tram fans point out that they are cheaper and faster to build than subways.

Like so much else in Berlin, the story of Berlin’s trams is a story of a partitioned city. As die Elektrische dwindled in the West, they kept running in the poorer, Communist-run East.

Today, one of the trickiest tram projects involves extending a line, called the M-10, across the historic Oberbaum Bridge that linked the former East and West Berlins.

Inga Kayademir, 41, riding a packed M-10 late one Wednesday, welcomed an extension. “Everything that reduces cars in the city is useful,” she said. “If it connects to the West, that’s a nice idea. It would add a second meaning to it.”

But building a new tram line on the bridge would mean taking lanes away from cars or bikes. Or the city would have to build another bridge altogether.

Streese was not ready to say how the tram might be accommodated. But one way or another, he said, a tram would cross the Oberbaum no later than 2027. “It’s not going to happen very soon,” he said. “But it’s going to happen.”

Bergen, Norway: Battery-Run Ferries in the Fjords

Heidi Wolden spent 30 years working for Norway’s oil and gas industry. Today, she is working to put oil and gas out of business in her country’s waterways.

Wolden is the CEO of Norled, a company that operates public ferries increasingly on batteries instead of diesel.

Ultimately, Wolden hopes to take her ferries well beyond the fjords. She wants to make Norled a leader in electrifying marine transport.

It is part of the nation’s ambitious effort to electrify all kinds of public transit, a plan all the more remarkable because Norway is a very small, very rich petrostate.

“Personally I am extremely happy that we are moving in the right direction,” Wolden said one brisk Friday morning, as the Hjellestad, a car ferry that Norled operates, set off from a quay near Bergen.

Norway has set ambitious targets to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. Almost all of Norway’s own electricity comes from hydropower. But what to do about its own oil and gas industry is at the center of a robust national political debate. Elections in September brought a center-left coalition to power, including small parties pushing for an end to oil and gas exploration in the North Sea.

Bergen is keen to fast-track its transition away from fossil fuels. Its city buses and trams run on electricity. Taxi operators have been told they must switch to all-electric vehicles by 2024, with subsidies for drivers to install chargers at home. Ferry operators have been offered longer, more profitable contracts to offset the cost of conversion.

Unlike in some other countries, including the United States, where climate policies are deeply polarizing, in Bergen there was not much pushback. Askeland said politicians on the left and right agreed to trim the budget for other expenses to pay for the costlier electric-ferry contracts.

After all, the mayor said, voters in the area are conscious about addressing climate change. “That influences us politicians, of course,” he said.

Ferry operators are not the only private companies cashing in on the electric transformation.

Corvus Energy, which makes batteries for all sorts of marine vehicles, including, mind-bendingly, for oil tankers in Norway, is busy producing batteries for electric ferries. “The government, using purchasing power to change the world, is also very important for us,” said Geir Bjorkeli, CEO of Corvus. The company now has its eye on electrifying ferries in the United States.

Corvus batteries sat snugly under the deck of the Hjellestad.

On shore, cables dangled from two tall poles that a passerby might have mistaken for lamp posts. The ship’s chief engineer, Arild Alvsaker, grabbed the cables with both hands and plugged them into the ship’s battery pack. The 10 minutes it took for cars to pull into the ferry was enough to load up with enough power for its roughly 45-minute voyage up the fjord and back.

Alvsaker was at first dubious about running a battery-powered ship. It took less than a week for him to change his mind. “I was dirty up to here before breakfast,” he said, pointing to his upper arm. “I don’t want to go back to diesel.”

He has since bought an electric car.

The water was calm that morning as the ship left the quay, almost soundlessly. On an electric ferry, there is no roaring engine.

Bogotá, Colombia: Gondolas With Wi-Fi in the Sky

The TransMiCable is a loop of firehouse-red gondolas that glide up from the valley to the neighborhoods stacked along the hills that surround Bogotá.

There are plans to build seven lines as part of the city’s efforts to clean up its public transport. Nearly 500 Chinese-made electric buses are on the roads, and contracts are out to buy an additional 1,000 by 2022, making Bogotá’s electric bus fleet one of the largest of any city outside China. The mayor, López, a cyclist, wants to add roughly 175 miles of bike lanes.

But for Fredy Cuesta Valencia, a Bogotá schoolteacher, what really matters is that the TransMiCable has given him back his time.

He used to spend two hours, on two slow buses, crawling through the hills to reach the school where he teaches. Once, he said, traffic was so backed up none of the teachers could arrive on time. Students waited outside for hours

Now it takes him 40 minutes to get to work, an hour at worst. There is Wi-Fi. Clouds. Rooftops below.

“It’s a lot less stress,” said Cuesta, 60, a folk dance teacher. “I check my phone, I look at the city, I relax.”

For politicians such as López, electrifying public transit helps her make the case that the city is aggressively cutting its emissions. But if she can also make transit better, not just make it electric, it can attract voters, particularly working people who make up most of the electorate.

But overhauling transportation is expensive. For López, who belongs to a center-left political party, it requires negotiating for money from the national president, Iván Duque, who belongs to a rival conservative party.

Yet their parties have managed to find some common ground. Duque is helping López build Bogotá’s first metro, something mayors have been trying for decades.

The case she made to him: What is good for the city is good for the country.

If Bogotá cannot change its transportation system, she said, Colombia cannot achieve its climate goals. “You’re interested in having a more competitive city. It’s in our common interest to achieve Colombia’s climate change goals,” she said.

For a century, for billions of urban people worldwide, getting around has meant boarding a bus powered by diesel or an auto rickshaw that runs on gasoline, or among the affluent, a car.

For a century, for billions of urban people worldwide, getting around has meant boarding a bus powered by diesel or an auto rickshaw that runs on gasoline, or among the affluent, a car. Today, a quiet transformation is underway. Berlin, Bogotá, Colombia, and several other cities are taking creative steps to cut gas and diesel from their public transit systems. They are doing so despite striking differences in geography, politics and economics that complicate the transformation. Berlin is reviving electric tram lines that were ripped out when the Berlin Wall went up. Bogotá is building cable cars that cut through the clouds to connect working-class communities perched on faraway hills. Bergen, a city by the fjords in western Norway, is moving its public ferries away from diesel toward batteries — a remarkable shift in a petrostate that has for decades enriched itself from the sale of oil and gas and that now wants to be a leader in marine vessels for the electric age. Bergen’s buses, too, are now electric, supplied by Chinese bus-makers that have seized on the market in cities as far afield as Los Angeles and Santiago, Chile. The change is audible. “You can hear voices again in the streets,” said Jon Askeland, mayor of the county that includes Bergen. Urban transportation is central to the effort to slow climate change. Home to more than half the world’s population, cities account for more than two-thirds of global carbon dioxide emissions. And transportation is often the largest, and fastest growing, source, making it imperative to not only encourage more people to get out of their cars and into mass transit, but also to make transit itself less polluting and more efficient. According to C40, a coalition of around 100 urban governments trying to address climate change, transportation accounts for one-third of a city’s carbon dioxide emissions, on average, outstripping other sources such as heating, industry and waste. It has not all been smooth sailing. In Costa Rica, for instance, private bus operators are divided on the national efforts to electrify mass transit. In Chinese cities, such as Shenzhen, which has a fully electric bus fleet, the electricity itself still comes mostly from coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. And everywhere it is expensive to make the shift. At the moment, only 16% of city buses worldwide are electric. The electric switch will need to accelerate, and cities will have to make mass transit more attractive, so fewer people rely on automobiles. “It has become a reasonable position to advocate for less space for cars,” said Felix Creutzig, a transportation specialist at the Mercator research center in Berlin. “Ten years ago, it was not even allowed to be said. But now you can say it.” The biggest challenge has been faced by cities that most need to make the shift: the most crowded and polluted metropolises of Asia and Africa, where people rely on informal mass transit such as diesel minivans or motorcycle taxis. But where cities are succeeding, they are finding that electrifying public transit can solve more than just climate problems. It can clean the air, reduce traffic jams and, ideally, make getting around town easier for ordinary people, which is why some politicians have staked their reputations on revamping transit. In many cases, city governments have been able to take climate action faster than their national governments. “It requires political clout,” Claudia López, mayor of Bogotá, said in an interview. “For the last 25 years, Bogotá has been condemned to depend on diesel buses. That’s irrational in the 21st century.” Berlin: Bringing Back the Trams Ingmar Streese called it “a historical mistake.” When the Berlin Wall went up, half of Berlin’s electric tram lines came down. By 1967, when Streese was 3 years old, West Berlin had ripped out nearly all the tracks of die Elektrische — The Electric. Cars took over the roads. Now, 30 years after the fall of the wall, as Germans confront the perils of climate change, there are growing demands to reclaim the roads from cars for walkers, bicyclists and users of public transit. Enter die Elektrische. Again. The mistake of the 1960s “is now being corrected,” said Streese, a Green party politician and Berlin’s permanent secretary for the environment and transport. Berlin, along with several European cities, including Lisbon, Portugal, and Dublin, are reviving trams not only to clean the air but to curb emissions to meet the European Union’s legally binding climate goals. Those goals require a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. Still, the politics of taking space away from cars is tricky. Berlin, with 1.2 million cars, has enacted a congestion tax, but it applies only to a tiny slice of the city. It is all part of a broader effort to improve public transit, including by electrifying all buses by 2030, expanding metro and suburban trains, adding bike lanes and building almost 50 miles of tram lines by 2035. The trams are not universally liked. Critics point out they are noisy, rattling along crowded streets day and night. They are slower than subways, and in the era of car-shares and electric scooters, old-fashioned. Tram fans point out that they are cheaper and faster to build than subways. Like so much else in Berlin, the story of Berlin’s trams is a story of a partitioned city. As die Elektrische dwindled in the West, they kept running in the poorer, Communist-run East. Today, one of the trickiest tram projects involves extending a line, called the M-10, across the historic Oberbaum Bridge that linked the former East and West Berlins. Inga Kayademir, 41, riding a packed M-10 late one Wednesday, welcomed an extension. “Everything that reduces cars in the city is useful,” she said. “If it connects to the West, that’s a nice idea. It would add a second meaning to it.” But building a new tram line on the bridge would mean taking lanes away from cars or bikes. Or the city would have to build another bridge altogether. Streese was not ready to say how the tram might be accommodated. But one way or another, he said, a tram would cross the Oberbaum no later than 2027. “It’s not going to happen very soon,” he said. “But it’s going to happen.” Bergen, Norway: Battery-Run Ferries in the Fjords Heidi Wolden spent 30 years working for Norway’s oil and gas industry. Today, she is working to put oil and gas out of business in her country’s waterways. Wolden is the CEO of Norled, a company that operates public ferries increasingly on batteries instead of diesel. Ultimately, Wolden hopes to take her ferries well beyond the fjords. She wants to make Norled a leader in electrifying marine transport. It is part of the nation’s ambitious effort to electrify all kinds of public transit, a plan all the more remarkable because Norway is a very small, very rich petrostate. “Personally I am extremely happy that we are moving in the right direction,” Wolden said one brisk Friday morning, as the Hjellestad, a car ferry that Norled operates, set off from a quay near Bergen. Norway has set ambitious targets to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. Almost all of Norway’s own electricity comes from hydropower. But what to do about its own oil and gas industry is at the center of a robust national political debate. Elections in September brought a center-left coalition to power, including small parties pushing for an end to oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. Bergen is keen to fast-track its transition away from fossil fuels. Its city buses and trams run on electricity. Taxi operators have been told they must switch to all-electric vehicles by 2024, with subsidies for drivers to install chargers at home. Ferry operators have been offered longer, more profitable contracts to offset the cost of conversion. Unlike in some other countries, including the United States, where climate policies are deeply polarizing, in Bergen there was not much pushback. Askeland said politicians on the left and right agreed to trim the budget for other expenses to pay for the costlier electric-ferry contracts. After all, the mayor said, voters in the area are conscious about addressing climate change. “That influences us politicians, of course,” he said. Ferry operators are not the only private companies cashing in on the electric transformation. Corvus Energy, which makes batteries for all sorts of marine vehicles, including, mind-bendingly, for oil tankers in Norway, is busy producing batteries for electric ferries. “The government, using purchasing power to change the world, is also very important for us,” said Geir Bjorkeli, CEO of Corvus. The company now has its eye on electrifying ferries in the United States. Corvus batteries sat snugly under the deck of the Hjellestad. On shore, cables dangled from two tall poles that a passerby might have mistaken for lamp posts. The ship’s chief engineer, Arild Alvsaker, grabbed the cables with both hands and plugged them into the ship’s battery pack. The 10 minutes it took for cars to pull into the ferry was enough to load up with enough power for its roughly 45-minute voyage up the fjord and back. Alvsaker was at first dubious about running a battery-powered ship. It took less than a week for him to change his mind. “I was dirty up to here before breakfast,” he said, pointing to his upper arm. “I don’t want to go back to diesel.” He has since bought an electric car. The water was calm that morning as the ship left the quay, almost soundlessly. On an electric ferry, there is no roaring engine. Bogotá, Colombia: Gondolas With Wi-Fi in the Sky The TransMiCable is a loop of firehouse-red gondolas that glide up from the valley to the neighborhoods stacked along the hills that surround Bogotá. There are plans to build seven lines as part of the city’s efforts to clean up its public transport. Nearly 500 Chinese-made electric buses are on the roads, and contracts are out to buy an additional 1,000 by 2022, making Bogotá’s electric bus fleet one of the largest of any city outside China. The mayor, López, a cyclist, wants to add roughly 175 miles of bike lanes. But for Fredy Cuesta Valencia, a Bogotá schoolteacher, what really matters is that the TransMiCable has given him back his time. He used to spend two hours, on two slow buses, crawling through the hills to reach the school where he teaches. Once, he said, traffic was so backed up none of the teachers could arrive on time. Students waited outside for hours Now it takes him 40 minutes to get to work, an hour at worst. There is Wi-Fi. Clouds. Rooftops below. “It’s a lot less stress,” said Cuesta, 60, a folk dance teacher. “I check my phone, I look at the city, I relax.” For politicians such as López, electrifying public transit helps her make the case that the city is aggressively cutting its emissions. But if she can also make transit better, not just make it electric, it can attract voters, particularly working people who make up most of the electorate. But overhauling transportation is expensive. For López, who belongs to a center-left political party, it requires negotiating for money from the national president, Iván Duque, who belongs to a rival conservative party. Yet their parties have managed to find some common ground. Duque is helping López build Bogotá’s first metro, something mayors have been trying for decades. The case she made to him: What is good for the city is good for the country. If Bogotá cannot change its transportation system, she said, Colombia cannot achieve its climate goals. “You’re interested in having a more competitive city. It’s in our common interest to achieve Colombia’s climate change goals,” she said.

Trams, cable cars, electric ferries: How cities are rethinking transit

Venus, the other neighbour of Earth than Mars has a literal hell on its surface. The average temperature is 461 Degrees Celsius. The atmosphere is almost entirely made up of Carbon dioxide and it is 90 times thicker than the atmosphere on Earth.

But a new study has started an interesting discussion. It says that Venus' clouds may have conditions suitable for photosynthesis.

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Photosynthesis is one of the major processes responsible for formation of life on any planet. Even on Earth, complex life was able to develop only when microbes started photosynthesis and created enough oxygen for complex life.

Now the new study says that clouds on Venus may have conditions that may support photosynthesis not just during the day but also at night. Scientists think that conditions may even be favourable for microbes to form. The clouds on Venus may absorb UV rays and provide some degree of protection just like ozone layer does it on Earth.

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Rakhesh Mogul, lead author of the study and Biochemistry professor California State Polytechnic University, Pomona has been quoted in media reports as saying that Venus' clouds made 'great target for life detecting missions.

The study has been published in the journal Astrobiology.

Venus, the other neighbour of Earth than Mars has a literal hell on its surface. The average temperature is 461 Degrees Celsius. The atmosphere is almost entirely made up of Carbon dioxide and it is 90 times thicker than the atmosphere on Earth.

Venus, the other neighbour of Earth than Mars has a literal hell on its surface. The average temperature is 461 Degrees Celsius. The atmosphere is almost entirely made up of Carbon dioxide and it is 90 times thicker than the atmosphere on Earth. But a new study has started an interesting discussion. It says that Venus' clouds may have conditions suitable for photosynthesis. Also Read | 37 per cent patients have long Covid symptoms months post recovery: Oxford study Photosynthesis is one of the major processes responsible for formation of life on any planet. Even on Earth, complex life was able to develop only when microbes started photosynthesis and created enough oxygen for complex life. Now the new study says that clouds on Venus may have conditions that may support photosynthesis not just during the day but also at night. Scientists think that conditions may even be favourable for microbes to form. The clouds on Venus may absorb UV rays and provide some degree of protection just like ozone layer does it on Earth. Also Read | Before chickens, early humans reared one of the most dangerous birds: Study Rakhesh Mogul, lead author of the study and Biochemistry professor California State Polytechnic University, Pomona has been quoted in media reports as saying that Venus' clouds made 'great target for life detecting missions. The study has been published in the journal Astrobiology.

A study claims that Venus may host life in its clouds

Malaria is still a deadly disease in many parts of the world. It claims more lives in poorer continents like Africa where even basic medical facilities are not available in many countries. As per World Health Organisation (WHO) more than 400,00 deaths were recorded across the world due to Malaria in the year 2019 alone.

Now it appears that primary parasite responsible for the disease, Plasmodium falciparum, is able to mutate to avoid common ways of detection we use.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/before-chickens-early-humans-reared-one-of-the-most-dangerous-birds-study-417744">Before chickens, early humans reared one of the most dangerous birds: Study</a>

A study by an immunologist at Ethiopian Public Health Institute has shed more light on this. Sindew Feleke, the immunologist says that about 10 per cent of Malaria cases escaped detection&nbsp;around Ethiopia's border region because of at least one mutation. This is allowing the parasite to evade rapid diagnostic testing (RDT).

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Ability to hide from the testing may give the parasite an extra advantage to spread more.

The parasite Plasmodium falciparum infests human blood cells to clone itself. These cells then burst, which sends a flood of parasites within the body. This causes waves of fever and other symptoms.

For their study, Feleke and his colleagues studied blood samples of over 12,500 patients along Ethiopian borders with Eritrea and Sudan. They found that a false negative had been reported in about 10 per cent of the cases.

Malaria is still a deadly disease in many parts of the world. It claims more lives in poorer continents like Africa where even basic medical facilities are not available in many countries.

Malaria is still a deadly disease in many parts of the world. It claims more lives in poorer continents like Africa where even basic medical facilities are not available in many countries. As per World Health Organisation (WHO) more than 400,00 deaths were recorded across the world due to Malaria in the year 2019 alone. Now it appears that primary parasite responsible for the disease, Plasmodium falciparum, is able to mutate to avoid common ways of detection we use. Also Read | Before chickens, early humans reared one of the most dangerous birds: Study A study by an immunologist at Ethiopian Public Health Institute has shed more light on this. Sindew Feleke, the immunologist says that about 10 per cent of Malaria cases escaped detection around Ethiopia's border region because of at least one mutation. This is allowing the parasite to evade rapid diagnostic testing (RDT). Also Read | 37 per cent patients have long Covid symptoms months post recovery: Oxford study Ability to hide from the testing may give the parasite an extra advantage to spread more. The parasite Plasmodium falciparum infests human blood cells to clone itself. These cells then burst, which sends a flood of parasites within the body. This causes waves of fever and other symptoms. For their study, Feleke and his colleagues studied blood samples of over 12,500 patients along Ethiopian borders with Eritrea and Sudan. They found that a false negative had been reported in about 10 per cent of the cases.

Malaria parasite found to undergo mutations evading detection

Tales of kings and queens having tigers and leopards as pets are dime a dozen. But to know that commoners reared a literally murderous bird even before chickens were domesticated by humans is something.

The birds in question are called cassowaries. Adults of this type are 5 to 6 feet tall. They have a sharp, sword-like toe that can easily sever human arm or mortally stab the abdomen. These flightless birds are found in Papua New Guinea (PNG) near Australia and have a record of killing humans.

But a new study has found that people on the island reared cassowaries in ancient times before domesticating chickens was a thing. Humans domesticated chickens about 9500 years ago. But the study suggests that cassowaries were being reared about 18,000 years ago. Researchers at Penn State University have carried out the research.

The researchers studied remains of cassowary eggshells, determined their exact age and found evidence that the eggs were being harvested by early humans. There was evidence of eggs being cooked and eaten. As per the study, these birds were used for their meat as well.

Researchers have been quoted as saying that while human domestication of animals like dogs in ancient times is well documented, the study on cassowaries underlines the need for early humans' interaction with avian species.

This research has been released in journal PNAS.

Tales of kings and queens having tigers and leopards as pets are dime a dozen. But to know that commoners reared a literally murderous bird even before chickens were domesticated by humans is something.

Tales of kings and queens having tigers and leopards as pets are dime a dozen. But to know that commoners reared a literally murderous bird even before chickens were domesticated by humans is something. The birds in question are called cassowaries. Adults of this type are 5 to 6 feet tall. They have a sharp, sword-like toe that can easily sever human arm or mortally stab the abdomen. These flightless birds are found in Papua New Guinea (PNG) near Australia and have a record of killing humans. But a new study has found that people on the island reared cassowaries in ancient times before domesticating chickens was a thing. Humans domesticated chickens about 9500 years ago. But the study suggests that cassowaries were being reared about 18,000 years ago. Researchers at Penn State University have carried out the research. The researchers studied remains of cassowary eggshells, determined their exact age and found evidence that the eggs were being harvested by early humans. There was evidence of eggs being cooked and eaten. As per the study, these birds were used for their meat as well. Researchers have been quoted as saying that while human domestication of animals like dogs in ancient times is well documented, the study on cassowaries underlines the need for early humans' interaction with avian species. This research has been released in journal PNAS.

Before chickens, early humans reared one of the most dangerous birds: Study

Former US President Donald Trump on Friday asked a federal judge in Florida to force Twitter to restore his account. The social media giant had removed his account in January this year citing risk of incitement of violence.

Trump has alleged before US District Court for the Southern District of Florida that Twitter was "coerced" by members of US Congress to suspend his account. He has filed a request for a preliminary injunction against Twitter.

Twitter and several other social media platforms banned Trump after on January 6 this year, mob of Trump supporters attacked US Capitol building. The attack was preceded by Trump's speech to the crowd that included baseless allegations of poll fraud during US Presidential Election 2020. Trump's claims of voting fraud had been rejected by multiple courts and state election officials.

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Twitter "exercises a degree of power and control over political discourse in this country that is immeasurable, historically unprecedented, and profoundly dangerous to open democratic debate," Trump's lawyers said in the filing. The filing was reported earlier by Bloomberg.

Twitter declined to comment on the filing when contacted by Reuters.

At the time of removing Trump's account permanently, Twitter said his tweets had violated the platform's policy barring "glorification of violence". The company said at the time that Trump's tweets that led to the removal were "highly likely" to encourage people to replicate what happened in the Capitol riots.

Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-won-us-election-against-trump-in-fair-ways-republican-funded-review-claims-415723">'Biden won US election against Trump in fair ways,' Republican-funded review claims</a>

Before he was blocked, Trump had more than 88 million followers on Twitter and used it as his social media megaphone.

In the court filing, Trump argued Twitter allowed the Taliban to tweet regularly about their military victories across Afghanistan, but censored him during his presidency by labeling his tweets as "misleading information" or indicating they violated the company's rules against "glorifying violence".

(With inputs from agencies)

Former US President Donald Trump on Friday asked a federal judge in Florida to force Twitter to restore his account. The social media giant had removed his account in January this year citing risk of incitement of violence.

Former US President Donald Trump on Friday asked a federal judge in Florida to force Twitter to restore his account. The social media giant had removed his account in January this year citing risk of incitement of violence. Trump has alleged before US District Court for the Southern District of Florida that Twitter was "coerced" by members of US Congress to suspend his account. He has filed a request for a preliminary injunction against Twitter. Twitter and several other social media platforms banned Trump after on January 6 this year, mob of Trump supporters attacked US Capitol building. The attack was preceded by Trump's speech to the crowd that included baseless allegations of poll fraud during US Presidential Election 2020. Trump's claims of voting fraud had been rejected by multiple courts and state election officials. Also Read | Senior US general blames Trump's Doha agreement for Afghan debacle Twitter "exercises a degree of power and control over political discourse in this country that is immeasurable, historically unprecedented, and profoundly dangerous to open democratic debate," Trump's lawyers said in the filing. The filing was reported earlier by Bloomberg. Twitter declined to comment on the filing when contacted by Reuters. At the time of removing Trump's account permanently, Twitter said his tweets had violated the platform's policy barring "glorification of violence". The company said at the time that Trump's tweets that led to the removal were "highly likely" to encourage people to replicate what happened in the Capitol riots. Also Read | 'Biden won US election against Trump in fair ways,' Republican-funded review claims Before he was blocked, Trump had more than 88 million followers on Twitter and used it as his social media megaphone. In the court filing, Trump argued Twitter allowed the Taliban to tweet regularly about their military victories across Afghanistan, but censored him during his presidency by labeling his tweets as "misleading information" or indicating they violated the company's rules against "glorifying violence". (With inputs from agencies)

Trump wants to tweet again: Ex-US president requests US judge to force Twitter into restoring account

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