<p>Scientists have reported the discovery of a rare, medium-sized black hole that may help answer one of the more tantalising questions in astronomy: how do their supermassive counterparts come into being?</p>

<p>There are two well-known sizes of black hole,&nbsp;at one end, so-called stellar-class ones which are typically three to ten times the mass of our Sunand at the other, supermassive ones, found at the centre of most galaxies, including the Milky Way, which are millions to billions times heavier.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/scientists-discover-first-ever-recoiling-black-hole-355056">Scientists discover first-ever 'recoiling' black hole</a></strong></p>

<p>The newly detected 'goldilocks' black hole, about 55,000 solar masses, could be a missing link between these two extremes, scientists suggested Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy.</p>

<p>Up to now, only a handful of intermediate-mass black holes,&nbsp;between 100 and 100,000 solar masses, have been detected, and none have been squarely in the middle of that range.</p>

<p>A black hole is a celestial object that compresses a huge mass into an extremely small space. Their gravitational pull is so strong nothing can escape them, not even light.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/astronomers-detect-most-powerful-black-hole-explosion-ever-324893">Astronomers detect most powerful black hole explosion ever</a></strong></p>

<p>Stellar-class black holes form when a dying star collapses, but astronomers have yet to figure out the origin story of the larger, matter-eating monsters.</p>

<p>"How do we get so many supermassive black holes in the Universe?" asked co-author Rachel Webster, a professor at the University of Melbourne.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Senior author Eric Thrane, a professor at Monash University, said the newly discovered black hole "could be an ancient relic, a primordial black hole created before the first stars and galaxies formed."</p>

<p>"These early black holes may be the seeds of the supermassive black holes that live in the hearts of galaxies today."</p>

<p><strong>Born that way?</strong></p>

<p>The new specimen was observed indirectly thanks to a slight deviation in light from a stellar explosion in the early Universe, some eight billion light-years distant. &nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p>Using a technique pioneered by Webster, astronomers analysed thousands of these gamma-ray bursts -- caused either by the violent collapse of a star or the merger of two stars -- looking for signs of gravitational lensing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This occurs when an object -— in this case, the intermediate black hole -- acts as a lens and fleetingly bends the path of the light as it travels toward Earth, such that astronomers see the same flash twice.</p>

<p>While Thrane, Webster and lead author James Paynter, a PhD candidate, were able to measure the mass of their intermediate black hole with precision, they could only speculate on how it was formed.</p>

<p>"Broadly, there are three possibilities," Webster said.</p>

<p>It could have been forged from the merger between two lesser black holes, as was true for another, much smaller intermediate black hole discovered in May 2019.</p>

<p>Alternatively, it might have been born as a stellar-class black hole and slowly accumulated mass as it sucked matter into its maw.</p>

<p>"But this is a slow process," said Webster. "It is hard to grow supermassive black holes from a solar mass seed over the age of the Universe."</p>

<p>A more likely scenario is that their discovery "was born that way," she said. "This could provide the answer."</p>

<p>The authors think that there are about 40,000 intermediate black holes in our own galaxy alone.</p>

<p>The gravitational waves that can bend light -- allowing for the detection of black holes -- were first measured in September 2015, earning the lead scientists a physics Nobel two years later.</p>

<p>Albert Einstein anticipated gravitational waves in his general theory of relativity, which theorised that they spread through the Universe at the speed of light.&nbsp;</p>


Scientists have reported the discovery of a rare, medium-sized black hole that may help answer one of the more tantalising questions in astronomy: how do their supermassive counterparts come into being?

Scientists have reported the discovery of a rare, medium-sized black hole that may help answer one of the more tantalising questions in astronomy: how do their supermassive counterparts come into being? There are two well-known sizes of black hole, at one end, so-called stellar-class ones which are typically three to ten times the mass of our Sunand at the other, supermassive ones, found at the centre of most galaxies, including the Milky Way, which are millions to billions times heavier. Also read| Scientists discover first-ever 'recoiling' black hole The newly detected 'goldilocks' black hole, about 55,000 solar masses, could be a missing link between these two extremes, scientists suggested Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy. Up to now, only a handful of intermediate-mass black holes, between 100 and 100,000 solar masses, have been detected, and none have been squarely in the middle of that range. A black hole is a celestial object that compresses a huge mass into an extremely small space. Their gravitational pull is so strong nothing can escape them, not even light. Also read| Astronomers detect most powerful black hole explosion ever Stellar-class black holes form when a dying star collapses, but astronomers have yet to figure out the origin story of the larger, matter-eating monsters. "How do we get so many supermassive black holes in the Universe?" asked co-author Rachel Webster, a professor at the University of Melbourne. Senior author Eric Thrane, a professor at Monash University, said the newly discovered black hole "could be an ancient relic, a primordial black hole created before the first stars and galaxies formed." "These early black holes may be the seeds of the supermassive black holes that live in the hearts of galaxies today." Born that way? The new specimen was observed indirectly thanks to a slight deviation in light from a stellar explosion in the early Universe, some eight billion light-years distant. Using a technique pioneered by Webster, astronomers analysed thousands of these gamma-ray bursts -- caused either by the violent collapse of a star or the merger of two stars -- looking for signs of gravitational lensing. This occurs when an object -— in this case, the intermediate black hole -- acts as a lens and fleetingly bends the path of the light as it travels toward Earth, such that astronomers see the same flash twice. While Thrane, Webster and lead author James Paynter, a PhD candidate, were able to measure the mass of their intermediate black hole with precision, they could only speculate on how it was formed. "Broadly, there are three possibilities," Webster said. It could have been forged from the merger between two lesser black holes, as was true for another, much smaller intermediate black hole discovered in May 2019. Alternatively, it might have been born as a stellar-class black hole and slowly accumulated mass as it sucked matter into its maw. "But this is a slow process," said Webster. "It is hard to grow supermassive black holes from a solar mass seed over the age of the Universe." A more likely scenario is that their discovery "was born that way," she said. "This could provide the answer." The authors think that there are about 40,000 intermediate black holes in our own galaxy alone. The gravitational waves that can bend light -- allowing for the detection of black holes -- were first measured in September 2015, earning the lead scientists a physics Nobel two years later. Albert Einstein anticipated gravitational waves in his general theory of relativity, which theorised that they spread through the Universe at the speed of light.

Scientists discover how supermassive counterparts of black holes originate

<p>Scientists have analysed how the human heart adapts in space in a recent study.</p>

<p>In this study, scientists&nbsp;compared the cardiac effect of extreme duration swimming and space light to determine whether low density, long-duration exercise counteracts the effects of repeated weightlessness.</p>

<p>For research, scientists compared Benoit Lecomte who swam 2821 kilometres over 159 days and Scott Kelly who spent 340 days in space.</p>

<p>What do extreme-duration swimming and extreme duration spaceflight have in common and how are they different? Both are associated with the removal of gravitational loading of the musculoskeletal system and the absence of weight-bearing activities.</p>

<p>Water immersion and supine bed rest ground-based models for spaceflight, initially increase central blood volume as a result of reversed hydrostatic gradients but over time lead to diuresis partially through avail natriuretic peptide stimulation and antidiuretic hormone inhibition.</p>

<p>During spaceflight, the loss of a gravitational gradient results in&nbsp;a similar short-term rise in preload followed by a compensatory decrease in blood volume and a long-term reduction in the period. Without countermeasures, extended spaceflight results in cardiac atrophy and orthostatic intolerance.</p>


Scientists have analysed how the human heart adapts in space in a recent study. In this study, scientists compared the cardiac effect of extreme duration swimming and space light to determine whether low density, long-duration exercise counteracts the effects of repeated weightlessness.

Scientists have analysed how the human heart adapts in space in a recent study. In this study, scientists compared the cardiac effect of extreme duration swimming and space light to determine whether low density, long-duration exercise counteracts the effects of repeated weightlessness. For research, scientists compared Benoit Lecomte who swam 2821 kilometres over 159 days and Scott Kelly who spent 340 days in space. What do extreme-duration swimming and extreme duration spaceflight have in common and how are they different? Both are associated with the removal of gravitational loading of the musculoskeletal system and the absence of weight-bearing activities. Water immersion and supine bed rest ground-based models for spaceflight, initially increase central blood volume as a result of reversed hydrostatic gradients but over time lead to diuresis partially through avail natriuretic peptide stimulation and antidiuretic hormone inhibition. During spaceflight, the loss of a gravitational gradient results in a similar short-term rise in preload followed by a compensatory decrease in blood volume and a long-term reduction in the period. Without countermeasures, extended spaceflight results in cardiac atrophy and orthostatic intolerance.

Researchers reveal how human heart adapts to space

<p>Nepal army received 100,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine from their Indian counterparts in Kathmandu on Sunday.</p>

<p>Nine packages of COVISHIELD vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, was received by Nepali army officials at the Kathmandu airport.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">100,000 doses of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MadeInIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MadeInIndia</a> Covid-19 vaccine gifted by Indian Army to the Nepali Army were received at Tribhuwan Airport today.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VaccineMaitri?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VaccineMaitri</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaNepalFriendship?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaNepalFriendship</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NeighbourhoodFirst?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NeighbourhoodFirst</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COAS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#COAS</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/adgpi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@adgpi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PMOIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@pmoindia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MEAIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@meaindia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/thenepalesearmy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@thenepalesearmy</a> <a href="https://t.co/TtlWWvV4UH">pic.twitter.com/TtlWWvV4UH</a></p>
— IndiaInNepal (@IndiaInNepal) <a href="https://twitter.com/IndiaInNepal/status/1376187960475848716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Assisting in fight against COVID-19 pandemic, one lakh doses of vaccine for Nepal Army being provided by Indian Army has arrived in Kathmandu today. Its formal handover is scheduled to take place in a few days," Santosh Ballav Paudel, spokesperson for Nepal Army tweeted on Sunday evening.</p>

<p>Wedged between India and China, the Himalayan country has already received more than 2.3 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India.</p>

<p>With procured vaccine and that on grant assistance, Nepal to date has vaccinated about 1.6 million of its citizens and is expected to vaccinate over 70 per cent of the population by end of the year.</p>


Nepal army received 100,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine from their Indian counterparts in Kathmandu on Sunday. Nine packages of COVISHIELD vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, was received by Nepali army officials at the Kathmandu airport.

Nepal army received 100,000 doses of the coronavirus vaccine from their Indian counterparts in Kathmandu on Sunday. Nine packages of COVISHIELD vaccine, manufactured by Serum Institute of India, was received by Nepali army officials at the Kathmandu airport. 100,000 doses of #MadeInIndia Covid-19 vaccine gifted by Indian Army to the Nepali Army were received at Tribhuwan Airport today. #VaccineMaitri #IndiaNepalFriendship #NeighbourhoodFirst #COAS @adgpi @pmoindia @meaindia @thenepalesearmy pic.twitter.com/TtlWWvV4UH — IndiaInNepal (@IndiaInNepal) March 28, 2021 × "Assisting in fight against COVID-19 pandemic, one lakh doses of vaccine for Nepal Army being provided by Indian Army has arrived in Kathmandu today. Its formal handover is scheduled to take place in a few days," Santosh Ballav Paudel, spokesperson for Nepal Army tweeted on Sunday evening. Wedged between India and China, the Himalayan country has already received more than 2.3 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from India. With procured vaccine and that on grant assistance, Nepal to date has vaccinated about 1.6 million of its citizens and is expected to vaccinate over 70 per cent of the population by end of the year.

Nepal army receives 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from India

<p>Sarah Onyango Obama, the grandmother of former US President Barack Obama died on Monday (March 29) in a hospital in Kisumu. She was said to be 99 years old.</p>

<p>Marsat Obama, Sarah's daughter, told local newspapers her mother died at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kisumu at 4.45am on March 29. She had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday (March 28) morning.</p>

<p>Sarah, popularly known as 'Mama Sarah' in her Nyangoma-Kogelo home village, was a Kenyan educator and philanthropist who promoted education for girls and orphans. She was the third wife of the paternal grandfather of Barack Obama.</p>

<p>Former President Obama often referred to her as "Granny" in his memoir, "Dreams from My Father." He described meeting her during his 1988 trip to Kenya, his father's homeland and their initial awkwardness and communication struggles that eventually developed into a warm bond. She attended his first inauguration as president in 2009.</p>

<p>In recognition of her work to support education, she was honoured by the United Nations in 2014, receiving the inaugural Women's Entrepreneurship Day Education Pioneer Award.</p>

<p>Her body is expected to be buried on Tuesday (March 30).</p>


Sarah Onyango Obama, the grandmother of former US President Barack Obama died on Monday (March 29) in a hospital in Kisumu. She was said to be 99 years old. Marsat Obama, Sarah's daughter, told local newspapers her mother died at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kisumu at 4.

Sarah Onyango Obama, the grandmother of former US President Barack Obama died on Monday (March 29) in a hospital in Kisumu. She was said to be 99 years old. Marsat Obama, Sarah's daughter, told local newspapers her mother died at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kisumu at 4.45am on March 29. She had been admitted to the hospital on Sunday (March 28) morning. Sarah, popularly known as 'Mama Sarah' in her Nyangoma-Kogelo home village, was a Kenyan educator and philanthropist who promoted education for girls and orphans. She was the third wife of the paternal grandfather of Barack Obama. Former President Obama often referred to her as "Granny" in his memoir, "Dreams from My Father." He described meeting her during his 1988 trip to Kenya, his father's homeland and their initial awkwardness and communication struggles that eventually developed into a warm bond. She attended his first inauguration as president in 2009. In recognition of her work to support education, she was honoured by the United Nations in 2014, receiving the inaugural Women's Entrepreneurship Day Education Pioneer Award. Her body is expected to be buried on Tuesday (March 30).

Former US President Barack Obama's Kenyan grandmother dies aged 99

<p>China said on Monday that it was "happy" over the recent "active interactions" between Pakistan and India, indicating that it would like to work with Islamabad to inject "more positive energy" into regional peace, stability and development.</p>

<p>The militaries of India and Pakistan announced on February 25 that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on a ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors.</p>

<p>Weeks later, both Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan and powerful Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa made peace overtures towards New Delhi saying it was time for the two neighbours to "bury the past and move forward".</p>

<p>''We are happy about the active interactions between Pakistan and India," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here in response to a question.</p>

<p>"We would like to work with Pakistan to inject more positive energy into regional peace and stability as well as development," he said.</p>

<p>Zhao was responding to a question on Pakistan President Arif Alvi's remark that China is his country's "closest and friendliest friend''&nbsp;during his speech at the Pakistan Day parade on March 25.</p>

<p>While welcoming Alvi's remark, Zhao also referred to the recent rapprochement between India and Pakistan to dial down the tensions between the two countries.</p>

<p>"China expresses warm congratulations on the 82nd Pakistan Day. We believe that the Pakistani Government and people will make further progress on national building and revitalisation,''&nbsp;he said, adding that Beijing ''highly appreciates''&nbsp;President Alvi's remarks.</p>

<p>"China also values the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries," he said.</p>

<p>"I would like to take the opportunity of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties to work with Pakistan to fight coronavirus and carry forward our traditional friendship to expand our all-dimensional cooperation and build a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in a new era,''&nbsp;the spokesman said.</p>


China said on Monday that it was "happy" over the recent "active interactions" between Pakistan and India, indicating that it would like to work with Islamabad to inject "more positive energy" into regional peace, stability and development.

China said on Monday that it was "happy" over the recent "active interactions" between Pakistan and India, indicating that it would like to work with Islamabad to inject "more positive energy" into regional peace, stability and development. The militaries of India and Pakistan announced on February 25 that they have agreed to strictly observe all agreements on a ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir and other sectors. Weeks later, both Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan and powerful Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa made peace overtures towards New Delhi saying it was time for the two neighbours to "bury the past and move forward". ''We are happy about the active interactions between Pakistan and India," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here in response to a question. "We would like to work with Pakistan to inject more positive energy into regional peace and stability as well as development," he said. Zhao was responding to a question on Pakistan President Arif Alvi's remark that China is his country's "closest and friendliest friend'' during his speech at the Pakistan Day parade on March 25. While welcoming Alvi's remark, Zhao also referred to the recent rapprochement between India and Pakistan to dial down the tensions between the two countries. "China expresses warm congratulations on the 82nd Pakistan Day. We believe that the Pakistani Government and people will make further progress on national building and revitalisation,'' he said, adding that Beijing ''highly appreciates'' President Alvi's remarks. "China also values the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between the two countries," he said. "I would like to take the opportunity of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties to work with Pakistan to fight coronavirus and carry forward our traditional friendship to expand our all-dimensional cooperation and build a closer China-Pakistan community of shared future in a new era,'' the spokesman said.

China says 'happy' about Pakistan-India 'active interactions'

<p>SpaceX is preparing for a possible launch of its prototype interplanetary Starship rocket from the company's facility in south Texas on Monday afternoon.</p>

<p>The company is hoping to finally perform a successful test flight after the last three attempts ended in spectacular explosions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I have ordered the closure of Boca Chica Beach and Hwy 4 for the purpose of protecting public health and safety during SpaceX space flight activities on March 29," Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr said in a statement.</p>

<p>SpaceX founder Elon Musk also tweeted on Sunday about the "Possible Starship flight tomorrow afternoon."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Possible Starship flight tomorrow afternoon</p>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1376235871989551105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The window for launch is 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm Central Time (1700 to 2200 GMT), and if it goes ahead, SpaceX will provide a webcast.&nbsp;</p>

<p>An earlier scheduled launch was scrubbed Friday, likely because of poor weather.</p>

<p>SN11 is the eleventh prototype of Starship, which SpaceX hopes will one day be able to fly to the Moon, Mars and beyond.</p>

<p>It will be the fourth to conduct a test flight, ascending to an altitude of 10 kilometers (six miles) before returning to the ground for a soft vertical landing.</p>

<p>SN8 and SN9, which launched in December and February respectively, crash-landed and exploded, while SN10 successfully landed then blew up a few minutes later during its test on March 3.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Despite the previous failures, analysts say SpaceX is gathering valuable data that will help it to accelerate its development timeline.</p>

<p>Eventually, SpaceX plans to combine the Starship spaceship with a Super Heavy rocket, creating a fully reusable system.</p>

<p>This final version will stand 120 meters tall (394 feet) and will be able to carry 100 metric tonnes into Earth orbit -- the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.</p>


SpaceX is preparing for a possible launch of its prototype interplanetary Starship rocket from the company's facility in south Texas on Monday afternoon. The company is hoping to finally perform a successful test flight after the last three attempts ended in spectacular explosions.

SpaceX is preparing for a possible launch of its prototype interplanetary Starship rocket from the company's facility in south Texas on Monday afternoon. The company is hoping to finally perform a successful test flight after the last three attempts ended in spectacular explosions. "I have ordered the closure of Boca Chica Beach and Hwy 4 for the purpose of protecting public health and safety during SpaceX space flight activities on March 29," Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr said in a statement. SpaceX founder Elon Musk also tweeted on Sunday about the "Possible Starship flight tomorrow afternoon." Possible Starship flight tomorrow afternoon — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2021 × The window for launch is 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm Central Time (1700 to 2200 GMT), and if it goes ahead, SpaceX will provide a webcast. An earlier scheduled launch was scrubbed Friday, likely because of poor weather. SN11 is the eleventh prototype of Starship, which SpaceX hopes will one day be able to fly to the Moon, Mars and beyond. It will be the fourth to conduct a test flight, ascending to an altitude of 10 kilometers (six miles) before returning to the ground for a soft vertical landing. SN8 and SN9, which launched in December and February respectively, crash-landed and exploded, while SN10 successfully landed then blew up a few minutes later during its test on March 3. Despite the previous failures, analysts say SpaceX is gathering valuable data that will help it to accelerate its development timeline. Eventually, SpaceX plans to combine the Starship spaceship with a Super Heavy rocket, creating a fully reusable system. This final version will stand 120 meters tall (394 feet) and will be able to carry 100 metric tonnes into Earth orbit -- the most powerful launch vehicle ever developed.

SpaceX preparing for launch of interplanetary Starship rocket

<p>Israel's president will begin consultations with political parties next Monday on their preferred candidate to try to form a government, a spokesman said, after a fourth election in two years ended in another stalemate.</p>

<p>After hearing the parties' recommendations, President Reuven Rivlin will assign the coalition-building task to one of the candidates by April 7, a spokesman said.</p>

<p>A final tally from the March 23 election showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud and kindred factions in control of 52 seats in the 120-member parliament. A potential opposition grouping took 57 seats.</p>

<p>With no easy path to a governing majority, Netanyahu's political fate may depend on the leaders of two wild-card parties, the far-right Yamina led by ex-defence minister Naftali Bennett and an Arab Islamist faction led by Mansour Abbas.</p>

<p>A patchwork opposition bloc of left-wing, centrist and rightist parties that also came up short of a majority has made no announcement of any formal alliance or who might lead it.</p>

<p>Of all the potential parties in such a coalition, centrist Yesh Atid, headed by former finance minister Yair Lapid, won the most legislative seats, 17, in last Tuesday's vote.</p>

<p>Likud captured the most seats in the election, 30, but Rivlin is under no legal obligation to task Netanyahu with putting together a government and can pick another candidate instead on the basis of the parties' recommendations.</p>

<p>Whoever Rivlin nominates will have up to 42 days to try to form an administration before the president assigns the task to someone else. If the second candidate fails, Rivlin can ask parliament to try to choose someone. If that proves unsuccessful, Israel would head into a fifth election.</p>


Israel's president will begin consultations with political parties next Monday on their preferred candidate to try to form a government, a spokesman said, after a fourth election in two years ended in another stalemate.

Israel's president will begin consultations with political parties next Monday on their preferred candidate to try to form a government, a spokesman said, after a fourth election in two years ended in another stalemate. After hearing the parties' recommendations, President Reuven Rivlin will assign the coalition-building task to one of the candidates by April 7, a spokesman said. A final tally from the March 23 election showed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud and kindred factions in control of 52 seats in the 120-member parliament. A potential opposition grouping took 57 seats. With no easy path to a governing majority, Netanyahu's political fate may depend on the leaders of two wild-card parties, the far-right Yamina led by ex-defence minister Naftali Bennett and an Arab Islamist faction led by Mansour Abbas. A patchwork opposition bloc of left-wing, centrist and rightist parties that also came up short of a majority has made no announcement of any formal alliance or who might lead it. Of all the potential parties in such a coalition, centrist Yesh Atid, headed by former finance minister Yair Lapid, won the most legislative seats, 17, in last Tuesday's vote. Likud captured the most seats in the election, 30, but Rivlin is under no legal obligation to task Netanyahu with putting together a government and can pick another candidate instead on the basis of the parties' recommendations. Whoever Rivlin nominates will have up to 42 days to try to form an administration before the president assigns the task to someone else. If the second candidate fails, Rivlin can ask parliament to try to choose someone. If that proves unsuccessful, Israel would head into a fifth election.

Israel's president to pick candidate next week to try to form government

<p>Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei&nbsp;Navalny&nbsp;said on Monday he could be locked up in solitary confinement in a punishment cell after being accused of numerous minor infractions.</p>

<p>Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critics, said he had been given six reprimands in the space of two weeks at Russia's IK-2 corrective penal colony, 100 km (60 miles) east of Moscow.</p>

<p>In an Instagram post, he said that two reprimands were technically enough to be sent to a punishment cell and that a prison tribunal considers such cases.</p>

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<p>The Kremlin said it was not following reports of&nbsp;Navalny's health and had not requested information from prison authorities.</p>

<p>"The condition of convicts and people who are serving time in correctional institutions is being monitored by their administrations. That's their job," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.</p>

<p>The prison service earlier on Thursday insisted that&nbsp;Navalny&nbsp;has been checked by medics and that "his state of health was assessed as stable and satisfactory".</p>

<p>The United States and the European Union have slapped sanctions on Russia for jailing&nbsp;Navalny&nbsp;and for allegedly orchestrating last year's poisoning, a charge Moscow has denied.</p>


Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Monday he could be locked up in solitary confinement in a punishment cell after being accused of numerous minor infractions.

Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny said on Monday he could be locked up in solitary confinement in a punishment cell after being accused of numerous minor infractions. Navalny, one of President Vladimir Putin's most prominent critics, said he had been given six reprimands in the space of two weeks at Russia's IK-2 corrective penal colony, 100 km (60 miles) east of Moscow. In an Instagram post, he said that two reprimands were technically enough to be sent to a punishment cell and that a prison tribunal considers such cases. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Алексей Навальный (@navalny) The Kremlin said it was not following reports of Navalny's health and had not requested information from prison authorities. "The condition of convicts and people who are serving time in correctional institutions is being monitored by their administrations. That's their job," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. The prison service earlier on Thursday insisted that Navalny has been checked by medics and that "his state of health was assessed as stable and satisfactory". The United States and the European Union have slapped sanctions on Russia for jailing Navalny and for allegedly orchestrating last year's poisoning, a charge Moscow has denied.

Kremlin critic Navalny says he risks solitary confinement over infractions

<p>China's capital Beijing has launched a month-long campaign to stamp out air pollution violations, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday, after the city was choked by two sandstorms in as many weeks.</p>

<p>Beijing's air quality index (AQI) reached the maximum 500 on Sunday, as dust carrying extremely high levels of hazardous particles blew in from Mongolia and northwest China.</p>

<p>In mid-March, the city was hit by what China's weather bureau called the biggest sandstorm in a decade.</p>

<p>Although external factors were blamed for the conditions, the Beijing authorities will carry out inspections on all local construction sites until the end of April, severely cracking down on violations such as allowing construction dust to get out and unpunctual clearance of waste, Xinhua said.</p>

<p>Beijing's infamous smoggy skies have cleared up in recent years after China imposed tighter emissions standards on industry in surrounding areas.</p>

<p>So far in 2021, however, the number of air pollution violations investigated and dealt with by Beijing's urban management law-enforcement bureau has increased by 30% year-on-year to 4,791, Xinhua said.</p>

<p>The AQI reading in Beijing was down to 104 as of 1030 GMT on Monday, still classed as "unhealthy".</p>


China's capital Beijing has launched a month-long campaign to stamp out air pollution violations, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday, after the city was choked by two sandstorms in as many weeks.

China's capital Beijing has launched a month-long campaign to stamp out air pollution violations, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday, after the city was choked by two sandstorms in as many weeks. Beijing's air quality index (AQI) reached the maximum 500 on Sunday, as dust carrying extremely high levels of hazardous particles blew in from Mongolia and northwest China. In mid-March, the city was hit by what China's weather bureau called the biggest sandstorm in a decade. Although external factors were blamed for the conditions, the Beijing authorities will carry out inspections on all local construction sites until the end of April, severely cracking down on violations such as allowing construction dust to get out and unpunctual clearance of waste, Xinhua said. Beijing's infamous smoggy skies have cleared up in recent years after China imposed tighter emissions standards on industry in surrounding areas. So far in 2021, however, the number of air pollution violations investigated and dealt with by Beijing's urban management law-enforcement bureau has increased by 30% year-on-year to 4,791, Xinhua said. The AQI reading in Beijing was down to 104 as of 1030 GMT on Monday, still classed as "unhealthy".

Beijing launches campaign to stamp out air pollution violations after sandstorms engulf city

<p>Hispanic people across the United States continue to be especially underrepresented among those vaccinated, according to a New York Times analysis of state-reported race and ethnicity information. The Hispanic share of the vaccinated population is less than the Hispanic general population in all states with large Hispanic communities.</p>

<p>Barriers to vaccine access faced in many Hispanic communities — alongside the structural limitations communities of color generally face — stand in the way of higher vaccination rates, even as the vaccine becomes more widely available, according to public health experts and community health organizers.</p>

<p>There is limited access to the digital tools needed to secure an appointment, for instance, especially among those who are older and live in immigrant communities.</p>

<p>“Our folks don’t have emails, they don’t have computers at home,” said James Rudyk, executive director of the Northwest Side Housing Center in Chicago, which runs vaccine clinics in Belmont Cragin, a largely Hispanic neighborhood. “They have smartphones, but they are not navigating registration systems that want you to fill out pages and pages of information.”</p>

<p>And often information about vaccine eligibility and registration is only readily available in English.</p>

<p>“People didn’t even know that there was a vaccine when we talked to them,” said Gilda Pedraza, the executive director of the Latino Community Fund in Atlanta, which called hundreds of older Hispanic people in late February to organize a vaccine clinic, before the state health department had posted eligibility information in Spanish.</p>

<p>Counties across the United States with significant Hispanic populations are more likely to face technology and language barriers, as well as cost barriers to pursuing health care, and are less likely to have insurance.</p>

<p>Vaccine clinic organizers also report that Hispanic members of their communities, many of them uninsured, are unaware that the vaccine is free for all and have expressed concern about its cost. Some, especially essential workers with limited or no time off, say that they can’t miss work to get a shot or can’t afford to miss a day if they have side effects from the vaccine.</p>

<p>And while the Biden administration has stated that getting a vaccine will not affect a person’s immigration status, community health workers say this is still a major concern for immigrant families.</p>

<p>“Yesterday I received two calls from people who are in the process of trying to regularize their situation, and they were saying, ‘We would rather not have our vaccine, because what if they find out that we got it and it affects our immigration process?’ ” Pedraza said. “And I said, ‘You might not live to see your immigration process if you don’t get your vaccine.’ ”</p>

<p>A trusted health care provider who shares information about the vaccine can alleviate some of these barriers, according to public health experts. But Hispanic people are less likely to have an existing relationship with a health care provider. And counties with significant Hispanic populations are less likely to have dependable or regular access to health care.</p>

<p>Community health advocates who live and work in the neighborhoods they are helping to vaccinate are taking on some of this responsibility and sharing critical information about the vaccine.</p>

<p>“We had a nearly 20% no-show rate initially for our first day of second doses and we got that down to less than 2% with phone calls,” Rudyk said. “Lots of people thought one dose was enough.”</p>

<p>And while concerns about vaccine safety often come up, advocates say that talking through these fears, even if it takes time, helps people decide to get immunized.</p>

<p>“Seeing people like you, speaking like you, it is critical,” Pedraza said. “It is what changes behavior.”</p>

<p>States that partner with community-based organizations are administering the vaccine more equitably than others, said Rita Carreón, vice president of health at UnidosUS, a civil rights organization for Hispanic communities.</p>

<p>In the states included in The Times’ analysis, the gap between the Hispanic share of the general population and the vaccinated population has declined slightly since the start of the month. Widening eligibility for the vaccine in some states may be contributing to the narrowing gap, but public health experts say that barriers to access still play an outsized role in the disparity.</p>

<p>Federal efforts to close the vaccination gap for Hispanic Americans through community health centers, while limited in size, are having some success. While the Hispanic share of the U.S. population is about 18%, Hispanic people made up more than a quarter of those nationwide who received their first dose at a community health center, according to an analysis of federal data by the Kaiser Family Foundation.</p>

<p><strong>METHODOLOGY:</strong></p>

<p>The Times gathered race and Hispanic origin data for vaccinated people from state websites March 19 and March 20.</p>

<p>Race and ethnicity information is missing from a significant number of vaccination records across states, by as much as a third in some states. Subsequently, The Times removed from its analysis vaccination records with unknown or unreported race or ethnicity data. The Times excluded the District of Columbia as the ethnicity was unknown for half of its vaccinations.</p>

<p>States also vary in whether they include nonresidents among those vaccinated. States may or may not include people vaccinated by a federal program for long-term care facilities. The Times used population data from the 2019 American Community Survey. While some states include Hispanic people among racial categories, others report ethnicity separately. Total population figures were adjusted based on the method of race and ethnicity reporting in each state.</p>

<p>Surgo Ventures provided county-level data from its COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage Index, which identifies potential barriers to vaccine access. Indicators are based on the proportion of households that report various barriers, as follows. For the “access to information” indicator: no internet connection, no smartphone or limited spoken English; for the “health care cost barrier” indicator: no health insurance or not seeking care because of costs; for the “access to routine medical care” indicator: not making regular medical visits; and for the “regular doctor” indicator: no personal doctor or medical home.</p>


Hispanic people across the United States continue to be especially underrepresented among those vaccinated, according to a New York Times analysis of state-reported race and ethnicity information.

Hispanic people across the United States continue to be especially underrepresented among those vaccinated, according to a New York Times analysis of state-reported race and ethnicity information. The Hispanic share of the vaccinated population is less than the Hispanic general population in all states with large Hispanic communities. Barriers to vaccine access faced in many Hispanic communities — alongside the structural limitations communities of color generally face — stand in the way of higher vaccination rates, even as the vaccine becomes more widely available, according to public health experts and community health organizers. There is limited access to the digital tools needed to secure an appointment, for instance, especially among those who are older and live in immigrant communities. “Our folks don’t have emails, they don’t have computers at home,” said James Rudyk, executive director of the Northwest Side Housing Center in Chicago, which runs vaccine clinics in Belmont Cragin, a largely Hispanic neighborhood. “They have smartphones, but they are not navigating registration systems that want you to fill out pages and pages of information.” And often information about vaccine eligibility and registration is only readily available in English. “People didn’t even know that there was a vaccine when we talked to them,” said Gilda Pedraza, the executive director of the Latino Community Fund in Atlanta, which called hundreds of older Hispanic people in late February to organize a vaccine clinic, before the state health department had posted eligibility information in Spanish. Counties across the United States with significant Hispanic populations are more likely to face technology and language barriers, as well as cost barriers to pursuing health care, and are less likely to have insurance. Vaccine clinic organizers also report that Hispanic members of their communities, many of them uninsured, are unaware that the vaccine is free for all and have expressed concern about its cost. Some, especially essential workers with limited or no time off, say that they can’t miss work to get a shot or can’t afford to miss a day if they have side effects from the vaccine. And while the Biden administration has stated that getting a vaccine will not affect a person’s immigration status, community health workers say this is still a major concern for immigrant families. “Yesterday I received two calls from people who are in the process of trying to regularize their situation, and they were saying, ‘We would rather not have our vaccine, because what if they find out that we got it and it affects our immigration process?’ ” Pedraza said. “And I said, ‘You might not live to see your immigration process if you don’t get your vaccine.’ ” A trusted health care provider who shares information about the vaccine can alleviate some of these barriers, according to public health experts. But Hispanic people are less likely to have an existing relationship with a health care provider. And counties with significant Hispanic populations are less likely to have dependable or regular access to health care. Community health advocates who live and work in the neighborhoods they are helping to vaccinate are taking on some of this responsibility and sharing critical information about the vaccine. “We had a nearly 20% no-show rate initially for our first day of second doses and we got that down to less than 2% with phone calls,” Rudyk said. “Lots of people thought one dose was enough.” And while concerns about vaccine safety often come up, advocates say that talking through these fears, even if it takes time, helps people decide to get immunized. “Seeing people like you, speaking like you, it is critical,” Pedraza said. “It is what changes behavior.” States that partner with community-based organizations are administering the vaccine more equitably than others, said Rita Carreón, vice president of health at UnidosUS, a civil rights organization for Hispanic communities. In the states included in The Times’ analysis, the gap between the Hispanic share of the general population and the vaccinated population has declined slightly since the start of the month. Widening eligibility for the vaccine in some states may be contributing to the narrowing gap, but public health experts say that barriers to access still play an outsized role in the disparity. Federal efforts to close the vaccination gap for Hispanic Americans through community health centers, while limited in size, are having some success. While the Hispanic share of the U.S. population is about 18%, Hispanic people made up more than a quarter of those nationwide who received their first dose at a community health center, according to an analysis of federal data by the Kaiser Family Foundation. METHODOLOGY: The Times gathered race and Hispanic origin data for vaccinated people from state websites March 19 and March 20. Race and ethnicity information is missing from a significant number of vaccination records across states, by as much as a third in some states. Subsequently, The Times removed from its analysis vaccination records with unknown or unreported race or ethnicity data. The Times excluded the District of Columbia as the ethnicity was unknown for half of its vaccinations. States also vary in whether they include nonresidents among those vaccinated. States may or may not include people vaccinated by a federal program for long-term care facilities. The Times used population data from the 2019 American Community Survey. While some states include Hispanic people among racial categories, others report ethnicity separately. Total population figures were adjusted based on the method of race and ethnicity reporting in each state. Surgo Ventures provided county-level data from its COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage Index, which identifies potential barriers to vaccine access. Indicators are based on the proportion of households that report various barriers, as follows. For the “access to information” indicator: no internet connection, no smartphone or limited spoken English; for the “health care cost barrier” indicator: no health insurance or not seeking care because of costs; for the “access to routine medical care” indicator: not making regular medical visits; and for the “regular doctor” indicator: no personal doctor or medical home.

The vaccination gap among Hispanic communities reflects barriers to access

<p>With hopes rising that the partial refloating of the Ever Given means the Suez Canal will soon reopen for business, shipping analysts cautioned that it will take time — perhaps days — for the hundreds of ships now waiting for passage to continue their journeys.</p>

<p>Shipping analysts estimated the colossal traffic jam was holding up nearly $10 billion in trade every day.</p>

<p>“All global retail trade moves in containers, or 90% of it,” said Alan Murphy, the founder of Sea-Intelligence, a maritime data and analysis firm. “Name any brand name, and they will be stuck on one of those vessels.”</p>

<p>The Syrian government said over the weekend that it will begin rationing the use of fuel after the closure of the Suez Canal delayed the delivery of a critical shipment of oil to the war-torn nation.</p>

<p>And in Lebanon, which in recent months has suffered blackouts amid an economic and political crisis, local media were reporting that the country’s shaky fuel supply risks further disruption if the blockage continues.</p>

<p>With the backlog of ships now stuck outside the canal growing to more than 300 on Sunday, the threat to the oil supplies in those two countries was an early indication of how quickly the disruption to the smooth functioning of global trade could ripple outward and cause real-world pain.</p>

<p>Virtually every container ship making the journey from factories in Asia to consumer markets in Europe passes through the channel. So do tankers laden with oil and natural gas.</p>

<p>The shutdown of the canal is affecting as much as 15% of the world’s container shipping capacity, according to Moody’s Investor Service, leading to delays at ports around the globe. Tankers carrying 9.8 million barrels of crude, about a tenth of a day’s global consumption, are now waiting to enter the canal, estimates Kpler, a firm that tracks petroleum shipping.</p>

<p>The Syrian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said the blockage of the canal had “hindered the oil supplies to Syria and delayed arrival of a tanker carrying oil and oil derivations to Syria.”</p>

<p>Rationing was needed, the ministry said in a statement, “in order to guarantee the continued supply of basic services to Syrians such as bakeries, hospitals, water stations, communication centers, and other vital institutions.”</p>


With hopes rising that the partial refloating of the Ever Given means the Suez Canal will soon reopen for business, shipping analysts cautioned that it will take time — perhaps days — for the hundreds of ships now waiting for passage to continue their journeys.

With hopes rising that the partial refloating of the Ever Given means the Suez Canal will soon reopen for business, shipping analysts cautioned that it will take time — perhaps days — for the hundreds of ships now waiting for passage to continue their journeys. Shipping analysts estimated the colossal traffic jam was holding up nearly $10 billion in trade every day. “All global retail trade moves in containers, or 90% of it,” said Alan Murphy, the founder of Sea-Intelligence, a maritime data and analysis firm. “Name any brand name, and they will be stuck on one of those vessels.” The Syrian government said over the weekend that it will begin rationing the use of fuel after the closure of the Suez Canal delayed the delivery of a critical shipment of oil to the war-torn nation. And in Lebanon, which in recent months has suffered blackouts amid an economic and political crisis, local media were reporting that the country’s shaky fuel supply risks further disruption if the blockage continues. With the backlog of ships now stuck outside the canal growing to more than 300 on Sunday, the threat to the oil supplies in those two countries was an early indication of how quickly the disruption to the smooth functioning of global trade could ripple outward and cause real-world pain. Virtually every container ship making the journey from factories in Asia to consumer markets in Europe passes through the channel. So do tankers laden with oil and natural gas. The shutdown of the canal is affecting as much as 15% of the world’s container shipping capacity, according to Moody’s Investor Service, leading to delays at ports around the globe. Tankers carrying 9.8 million barrels of crude, about a tenth of a day’s global consumption, are now waiting to enter the canal, estimates Kpler, a firm that tracks petroleum shipping. The Syrian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said the blockage of the canal had “hindered the oil supplies to Syria and delayed arrival of a tanker carrying oil and oil derivations to Syria.” Rationing was needed, the ministry said in a statement, “in order to guarantee the continued supply of basic services to Syrians such as bakeries, hospitals, water stations, communication centers, and other vital institutions.”

Even after canal is cleared, ending backlog of will take time

<p>EU chiefs Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Turkey on April 6 for a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an EU spokesman said Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>EU leaders said at a summit last week they were ready to improve cooperation with Ankara if Erdogan maintained the current "de-escalation", following a spike in tensions over the eastern Mediterranean last year.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/nato-vs-nato-in-turkey-eu-rift-256136/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The EU threatened sanctions on Ankara over a row between&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;and EU member Greece last year over maritime jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean but halted the plans after a more constructive tone from&nbsp;Erdogan.</p>

<p>Von der Leyen welcomed Ankara's change in stance on the eastern Mediterranean but said the relationship between the bloc and aspiring member&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;was still fragile.</p>

<p>"Turkey&nbsp;has shown a more constructive attitude including in its bilateral relations with several EU member states. These are positive and welcomed steps on which we must try to build on," Von der Leyen said.</p>

<p>Negotiations could still take several years to complete and the EU is concerned that Erdogan could change course as he seeks a bigger regional role for&nbsp;Turkey, moving against the EU.</p>

<p>"If&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;does not move forward constructively, it returns to unilateral actions or provocations in particular in the Eastern Mediterranean, of course, would suspend this cooperation measures," the former German defence minister said.</p>


EU chiefs Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Turkey on April 6 for a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an EU spokesman said Monday.

EU chiefs Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Turkey on April 6 for a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, an EU spokesman said Monday. EU leaders said at a summit last week they were ready to improve cooperation with Ankara if Erdogan maintained the current "de-escalation", following a spike in tensions over the eastern Mediterranean last year. The EU threatened sanctions on Ankara over a row between Turkey and EU member Greece last year over maritime jurisdiction in the eastern Mediterranean but halted the plans after a more constructive tone from Erdogan. Von der Leyen welcomed Ankara's change in stance on the eastern Mediterranean but said the relationship between the bloc and aspiring member Turkey was still fragile. "Turkey has shown a more constructive attitude including in its bilateral relations with several EU member states. These are positive and welcomed steps on which we must try to build on," Von der Leyen said. Negotiations could still take several years to complete and the EU is concerned that Erdogan could change course as he seeks a bigger regional role for Turkey, moving against the EU. "If Turkey does not move forward constructively, it returns to unilateral actions or provocations in particular in the Eastern Mediterranean, of course, would suspend this cooperation measures," the former German defence minister said.

European Union chiefs to visit Turkey on April 6

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Zee News Rajasthan

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