In making the case against a union at its warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, Amazon has touted its compensation package. The company notes that base pay at the facility, around $15.50 an hour for most rank-and-file workers, is more than twice the local minimum wage and that it offers comprehensive health insurance and retirement benefits.

But to many of Amazon’s Bessemer employees, who are voting this month on whether to unionize, the claims to generosity can ring hollow alongside the demands of the job and local wage rates. The most recent figure for the median wage in greater Birmingham, a metropolitan area of roughly 1 million people that includes Bessemer, was nearly $3 above Amazon’s pay there, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“If you go into certain rural areas in the South, where wages are suppressed and there’s no industry, that may seem attractive,” said Joshua Brewer of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, who is the campaign’s lead organizer. “For our folks here in Bessemer and Birmingham, it’s barely enough to keep the lights on. To tote it in front of them like it’s something to be prized is mildly offensive.”

It is common for employers facing a union vote to emphasize the generosity of their wages and to suggest that workers could be worse off if they unionize. But the message takes on added resonance in the South, where incomes are lower and jobs with good pay can be harder to find. As a result, organizers say, employers and their surrogates in the region often use such tactics more aggressively.

A commercial during a 2017 union campaign at a Boeing plant in South Carolina showed a casino boss urging workers to roll dice at a craps table to make the point that joining a union could put their livelihood at risk. Union campaigns at a Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi, and a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, featured similar appeals.

The catch is that wages at these plants tended to be substantially higher than the typical wage in their areas, reinforcing workers’ sense that they had something valuable to lose.

Veteran production workers made $23.50 an hour at the Volkswagen plant in 2019, the year of the most recent campaign there. The comparable figure was $23 at Boeing’s South Carolina facility when workers voted on a union and $26 at Nissan’s Mississippi plant during the vote there, also in 2017. The union lost in all three cases.

“The global manufacturing companies took more steps to pre-empt unionization by offering better pay,” Richard Bensinger, a former organizing director for the United Automobile Workers and the AFL-CIO, said in an email.

Bensinger, who was involved in the Nissan and Volkswagen campaigns and is helping workers organize at other Amazon facilities, held up Mercedes-Benz as a telling example. The UAW tried to organize the company’s plant in Vance, Alabama, about 25 miles from Bessemer, for several years during the last decade. But it could never quite get a majority of workers to sign cards, Bensinger said, partly because wages at the plant were so high — $28 an hour for veteran workers, and even more today.

“They paid UAW scale to try to keep the UAW out,” Bensinger said. (Mercedes, like other automakers, also used temporary workers whom it paid far less.)

By contrast, unions have been successful when companies have held down wages. During the first half the 2010s, workers unionized at several auto parts suppliers in Alabama and elsewhere in the South, often citing low pay and benefits as the impetus.

In 2015, employees at Commercial Vehicle Group in Piedmont, Alabama, which made seats for trucks, voted to join the UAW by a roughly 2-to-1 ratio. Workers at the plant complained of wages that started as low as $9.70 an hour for temporary workers and topped out at $15.80 for full-time employees. The company laid off many of the workers when it later consolidated its operations.

“Workers always say this: It’s about respect, recognition,” said Gary Casteel, the UAW’s former second-ranking official, who helped oversee much of its organizing in the South. “That’s not the case. It is about the money. Everybody wants to get paid more.”

Darryl Richardson, an Amazon employee in Alabama, knows firsthand the catalyzing effect of low wages. In 2012, he was part of a group of workers that voted overwhelmingly to unionize at Faurecia Interior Systems in Cottondale, Alabama, which made seats for the nearby Mercedes plant.

Richardson said that he had made around $12.50 an hour when he started at the plant but that, thanks to the union, his hourly pay had nearly doubled by the time he left in 2019, after the plant lost its contract with Mercedes. He said several of his co-workers at Faurecia were now working at Amazon and had seen the power of a union to raise wages.

“From Faurecia to Amazon, it’s a big pay difference,” said Richardson, who now makes $15.55.

Heather Knox, an Amazon spokeswoman, said workers in Bessemer were eligible for raises every six months and that they had received a $2-an-hour bonus during much of last spring. Full-time rank-and-file employees received $300 bonuses during the holiday season and $500 last June. The company also provides significant tuition reimbursement for employees who take classes in certain fields.

Some workers at the Bessemer facility, which opened just as COVID-19 was bearing down last March, regard the pay as more than adequate, especially younger employees.

“I feel like it is fair,” said Roderick Crocton, 24, who previously made $11.25 as an overnight stocker at a local retailer. “In my old job, I lived in my apartment, never got to go anywhere, paid my bills. Today I’m able to go out and experience being in the city.”

But other workers emphasize that pay at Amazon isn’t particularly high for the Birmingham area, even if the pandemic has reduced their job options. An Amazon employee named Clint, a union backer who declined to give his last name for fear of retaliation, said he had stood to make about $40,000 a year installing satellite dishes before the pandemic left him unemployed. He said he made his finances work partly by living with his mother.

The retail workers’ union said it represented employees at nearby warehouses where pay is $18 to $21 an hour, including an ice cream facility and a grocery warehouse not far from Amazon.

At a plant owned by NFI Group, a Canadian bus manufacturer, about an hour east of Birmingham, hourly pay for rank-and-file workers ranges from $14.79 to $23.31, according to the company.

A survey of about 100 workers at the NFI plant by Emily Erickson, a professor at Alabama A&amp;amp;M University, found that white workers earned about $3 an hour more than Black workers on average. One former employee who currently works for a labor group in the area, Charles Crooms, said this made it more difficult to persuade white workers to join a union organizing effort. (The company said all employees with the same job grade and tenure were paid the same.)

Workers and organizers said the dissatisfaction over wages at the Amazon warehouse was heightened by the vast wealth of Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder.

“He’s one of the richest men in the world, yet you treat employees like scavengers,” said Jennifer Bates, an Amazon employee who earned more in her previous job at a pipe factory but joined Amazon hoping it would provide an opportunity to grow.

Bates was mystified that the company was urging Congress to match its pay efforts by raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. “It looks to me like Amazon is admitting it’s only paying a minimum wage, and this is not a minimum-wage job,” she said. Amazon has said its starting wage is higher than $15 an hour in most of the country.

Stuart Appelbaum, the president of the retail workers’ union, noted that Bezos could have given each of Amazon’s more than 1 million global employees last year a bonus larger than the annual pay of a warehouse worker just from the wealth he accumulated during the pandemic.

All of which raises a question: Why didn’t Amazon, which regards unions as a threat, follow the example of Nissan and Mercedes and pay its Alabama employees more as a way to pre-empt a union?

The company did not respond to a request to address that question.

Appelbaum, the union president, said the company had underestimated its workers.

“I think they took it for granted that we’d be out there for a few days leafleting, then go away,” he said. “They didn’t believe there was any possibility that we’d be able to get enough cards from employees to get to an election.”

In making the case against a union at its warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, Amazon has touted its compensation package. The company notes that base pay at the facility, around $15.

In making the case against a union at its warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, Amazon has touted its compensation package. The company notes that base pay at the facility, around $15.50 an hour for most rank-and-file workers, is more than twice the local minimum wage and that it offers comprehensive health insurance and retirement benefits. But to many of Amazon’s Bessemer employees, who are voting this month on whether to unionize, the claims to generosity can ring hollow alongside the demands of the job and local wage rates. The most recent figure for the median wage in greater Birmingham, a metropolitan area of roughly 1 million people that includes Bessemer, was nearly $3 above Amazon’s pay there, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. “If you go into certain rural areas in the South, where wages are suppressed and there’s no industry, that may seem attractive,” said Joshua Brewer of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, who is the campaign’s lead organizer. “For our folks here in Bessemer and Birmingham, it’s barely enough to keep the lights on. To tote it in front of them like it’s something to be prized is mildly offensive.” It is common for employers facing a union vote to emphasize the generosity of their wages and to suggest that workers could be worse off if they unionize. But the message takes on added resonance in the South, where incomes are lower and jobs with good pay can be harder to find. As a result, organizers say, employers and their surrogates in the region often use such tactics more aggressively. A commercial during a 2017 union campaign at a Boeing plant in South Carolina showed a casino boss urging workers to roll dice at a craps table to make the point that joining a union could put their livelihood at risk. Union campaigns at a Nissan plant in Canton, Mississippi, and a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, featured similar appeals. The catch is that wages at these plants tended to be substantially higher than the typical wage in their areas, reinforcing workers’ sense that they had something valuable to lose. Veteran production workers made $23.50 an hour at the Volkswagen plant in 2019, the year of the most recent campaign there. The comparable figure was $23 at Boeing’s South Carolina facility when workers voted on a union and $26 at Nissan’s Mississippi plant during the vote there, also in 2017. The union lost in all three cases. “The global manufacturing companies took more steps to pre-empt unionization by offering better pay,” Richard Bensinger, a former organizing director for the United Automobile Workers and the AFL-CIO, said in an email. Bensinger, who was involved in the Nissan and Volkswagen campaigns and is helping workers organize at other Amazon facilities, held up Mercedes-Benz as a telling example. The UAW tried to organize the company’s plant in Vance, Alabama, about 25 miles from Bessemer, for several years during the last decade. But it could never quite get a majority of workers to sign cards, Bensinger said, partly because wages at the plant were so high — $28 an hour for veteran workers, and even more today. “They paid UAW scale to try to keep the UAW out,” Bensinger said. (Mercedes, like other automakers, also used temporary workers whom it paid far less.) By contrast, unions have been successful when companies have held down wages. During the first half the 2010s, workers unionized at several auto parts suppliers in Alabama and elsewhere in the South, often citing low pay and benefits as the impetus. In 2015, employees at Commercial Vehicle Group in Piedmont, Alabama, which made seats for trucks, voted to join the UAW by a roughly 2-to-1 ratio. Workers at the plant complained of wages that started as low as $9.70 an hour for temporary workers and topped out at $15.80 for full-time employees. The company laid off many of the workers when it later consolidated its operations. “Workers always say this: It’s about respect, recognition,” said Gary Casteel, the UAW’s former second-ranking official, who helped oversee much of its organizing in the South. “That’s not the case. It is about the money. Everybody wants to get paid more.” Darryl Richardson, an Amazon employee in Alabama, knows firsthand the catalyzing effect of low wages. In 2012, he was part of a group of workers that voted overwhelmingly to unionize at Faurecia Interior Systems in Cottondale, Alabama, which made seats for the nearby Mercedes plant. Richardson said that he had made around $12.50 an hour when he started at the plant but that, thanks to the union, his hourly pay had nearly doubled by the time he left in 2019, after the plant lost its contract with Mercedes. He said several of his co-workers at Faurecia were now working at Amazon and had seen the power of a union to raise wages. “From Faurecia to Amazon, it’s a big pay difference,” said Richardson, who now makes $15.55. Heather Knox, an Amazon spokeswoman, said workers in Bessemer were eligible for raises every six months and that they had received a $2-an-hour bonus during much of last spring. Full-time rank-and-file employees received $300 bonuses during the holiday season and $500 last June. The company also provides significant tuition reimbursement for employees who take classes in certain fields. Some workers at the Bessemer facility, which opened just as COVID-19 was bearing down last March, regard the pay as more than adequate, especially younger employees. “I feel like it is fair,” said Roderick Crocton, 24, who previously made $11.25 as an overnight stocker at a local retailer. “In my old job, I lived in my apartment, never got to go anywhere, paid my bills. Today I’m able to go out and experience being in the city.” But other workers emphasize that pay at Amazon isn’t particularly high for the Birmingham area, even if the pandemic has reduced their job options. An Amazon employee named Clint, a union backer who declined to give his last name for fear of retaliation, said he had stood to make about $40,000 a year installing satellite dishes before the pandemic left him unemployed. He said he made his finances work partly by living with his mother. The retail workers’ union said it represented employees at nearby warehouses where pay is $18 to $21 an hour, including an ice cream facility and a grocery warehouse not far from Amazon. At a plant owned by NFI Group, a Canadian bus manufacturer, about an hour east of Birmingham, hourly pay for rank-and-file workers ranges from $14.79 to $23.31, according to the company. A survey of about 100 workers at the NFI plant by Emily Erickson, a professor at Alabama A&amp;M University, found that white workers earned about $3 an hour more than Black workers on average. One former employee who currently works for a labor group in the area, Charles Crooms, said this made it more difficult to persuade white workers to join a union organizing effort. (The company said all employees with the same job grade and tenure were paid the same.) Workers and organizers said the dissatisfaction over wages at the Amazon warehouse was heightened by the vast wealth of Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founder. “He’s one of the richest men in the world, yet you treat employees like scavengers,” said Jennifer Bates, an Amazon employee who earned more in her previous job at a pipe factory but joined Amazon hoping it would provide an opportunity to grow. Bates was mystified that the company was urging Congress to match its pay efforts by raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. “It looks to me like Amazon is admitting it’s only paying a minimum wage, and this is not a minimum-wage job,” she said. Amazon has said its starting wage is higher than $15 an hour in most of the country. Stuart Appelbaum, the president of the retail workers’ union, noted that Bezos could have given each of Amazon’s more than 1 million global employees last year a bonus larger than the annual pay of a warehouse worker just from the wealth he accumulated during the pandemic. All of which raises a question: Why didn’t Amazon, which regards unions as a threat, follow the example of Nissan and Mercedes and pay its Alabama employees more as a way to pre-empt a union? The company did not respond to a request to address that question. Appelbaum, the union president, said the company had underestimated its workers. “I think they took it for granted that we’d be out there for a few days leafleting, then go away,” he said. “They didn’t believe there was any possibility that we’d be able to get enough cards from employees to get to an election.”

Amazon says it pays Alabama workers well; other local employers pay more

Key dates in China-Canada spat

World Sleep Day is celebrated annually on March 19 to highlight the importance of healthy sleep and a global call to action regarding all aspects related to it. These include medicine, education, social aspects and driving.

It publicly displays efforts being taken toward the prevention and management of sleep disorders. It was created and hosted by the World Sleep Society.

Who created World Sleep Day? 
The annual awareness event was started by a group of dedicated healthcare providers and members of the medical community working and studying in the area of sleep medicine and research. The goal of the first World Sleep Day was to bring together sleep healthcare providers to discuss and distribute sleep information around the world. The first co-chairs of World Sleep Day were Liborio Parrino, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology at Parma University, Italy and Antonio Culebras, MD, Professor of Neurology, Upstate Medical University, and Consultant, The Sleep Center, Community General Hospital, Syracuse, New York, USA.

Why was World Sleep Day created? 
Time and time again, sleep medicine professionals and researchers came up against the belief that sleep was not important enough in personal health and well-being to be a priority. That coupled with society’s 24/7 flow, the founders of this awareness event aim to celebrate the importance of healthy sleep.

Who supports World Sleep Day? 
World Sleep Day is hosted by the World Sleep Society (WSS), a nonprofit based in the United States. Per the organizational bylaws, World Sleep Society does not support, recommend or endorse any products of services. The awareness event does accept corporate sponsorships to help support the cost to host the event, but the World Sleep Society, the World Sleep Day Committee, or any person affiliated with WSS does not endorse or recommend commercial products, treatments, or companies.

Here are some important facts about sleep:

Sleep is known to be critical to physical and mental health,&nbsp;essential for tissue repair, cell regeneration, immune function, memory, and for regulating mood and emotions.

Scientists are providing a fuller understanding of the essential role that sleep plays in brain health, identifying an abrupt transition at about 2.4 years of age when its primary purpose shifts from brain-building to maintenance and repair.

There are basically two types of sleep, each tied to specific brain waves and neuronal activity. REM, with the eyes moving quickly from side to side behind closed eyelids, is deep sleep with vivid dreams. Non-REM sleep is largely dreamless.

During REM sleep, the brain forms new neural connections by building and strengthening synapses - the junctions between nerve cells, or neurons - that enable them to communicate, reinforcing learning and consolidating memories. During sleep, the brain also repairs the modicum of daily neurological damage it typically experiences to genes and proteins within neurons as well as clearing out byproducts that build up.

At about 2.4 years of age, the findings showed, sleep’s primary function changed from building and cutting connections during REM sleep to neural repair during both REM and non-REM sleep.

REM sleep declines with age. Newborns, who can sleep about 16 hours daily, spend about 50&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;of their sleeping time in REM, but there is a pronounced drop-off at around 2.4 years. It drops to about 25 per cent&nbsp;by age 10 and to about 10&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;to 15&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;around age 50.

According to a study conducted by Harvard University, the international penchant for watching television every evening before going to sleep, playing video games late into the night or checking emails and text messages before turning off the lights could be interfering with people’s sleep habits all across the globe.

Baby boomers, or people aged 46-64 years old, were the biggest offenders of watching television every night before going to sleep, while more than a third of 13-18 year-olds and 28 percent of young adults 19-29 year olds played video games before bedtime.

Sixty one percent also said they used their computer or laptop at least a few nights each week.

And a propensity to stay in touch means that even people who have managed to fall asleep, are being woken up by cellphones, texts and emails during the night.

Generation Z’ers, 13-18 year olds, were the most sleep-deprived group, with 22 percent describing themselves as “sleepy,” compared to only nine percent of baby boomers.

Sleep experts recommend that teenagers get 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep a night but adolescents in the study were only averaging 7 hours and 26 minutes on weeknights.

World Sleep Day is celebrated annually on March 19 to highlight the importance of healthy sleep and a global call to action regarding all aspects related to it. These include medicine, education, social aspects and driving.

World Sleep Day is celebrated annually on March 19 to highlight the importance of healthy sleep and a global call to action regarding all aspects related to it. These include medicine, education, social aspects and driving. It publicly displays efforts being taken toward the prevention and management of sleep disorders. It was created and hosted by the World Sleep Society. Who created World Sleep Day? The annual awareness event was started by a group of dedicated healthcare providers and members of the medical community working and studying in the area of sleep medicine and research. The goal of the first World Sleep Day was to bring together sleep healthcare providers to discuss and distribute sleep information around the world. The first co-chairs of World Sleep Day were Liborio Parrino, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology at Parma University, Italy and Antonio Culebras, MD, Professor of Neurology, Upstate Medical University, and Consultant, The Sleep Center, Community General Hospital, Syracuse, New York, USA. Why was World Sleep Day created? Time and time again, sleep medicine professionals and researchers came up against the belief that sleep was not important enough in personal health and well-being to be a priority. That coupled with society’s 24/7 flow, the founders of this awareness event aim to celebrate the importance of healthy sleep. Who supports World Sleep Day? World Sleep Day is hosted by the World Sleep Society (WSS), a nonprofit based in the United States. Per the organizational bylaws, World Sleep Society does not support, recommend or endorse any products of services. The awareness event does accept corporate sponsorships to help support the cost to host the event, but the World Sleep Society, the World Sleep Day Committee, or any person affiliated with WSS does not endorse or recommend commercial products, treatments, or companies. Here are some important facts about sleep: Sleep is known to be critical to physical and mental health, essential for tissue repair, cell regeneration, immune function, memory, and for regulating mood and emotions. Scientists are providing a fuller understanding of the essential role that sleep plays in brain health, identifying an abrupt transition at about 2.4 years of age when its primary purpose shifts from brain-building to maintenance and repair. There are basically two types of sleep, each tied to specific brain waves and neuronal activity. REM, with the eyes moving quickly from side to side behind closed eyelids, is deep sleep with vivid dreams. Non-REM sleep is largely dreamless. During REM sleep, the brain forms new neural connections by building and strengthening synapses - the junctions between nerve cells, or neurons - that enable them to communicate, reinforcing learning and consolidating memories. During sleep, the brain also repairs the modicum of daily neurological damage it typically experiences to genes and proteins within neurons as well as clearing out byproducts that build up. At about 2.4 years of age, the findings showed, sleep’s primary function changed from building and cutting connections during REM sleep to neural repair during both REM and non-REM sleep. REM sleep declines with age. Newborns, who can sleep about 16 hours daily, spend about 50 per cent of their sleeping time in REM, but there is a pronounced drop-off at around 2.4 years. It drops to about 25 per cent by age 10 and to about 10 per cent to 15 per cent around age 50. According to a study conducted by Harvard University, the international penchant for watching television every evening before going to sleep, playing video games late into the night or checking emails and text messages before turning off the lights could be interfering with people’s sleep habits all across the globe. Baby boomers, or people aged 46-64 years old, were the biggest offenders of watching television every night before going to sleep, while more than a third of 13-18 year-olds and 28 percent of young adults 19-29 year olds played video games before bedtime. Sixty one percent also said they used their computer or laptop at least a few nights each week. And a propensity to stay in touch means that even people who have managed to fall asleep, are being woken up by cellphones, texts and emails during the night. Generation Z’ers, 13-18 year olds, were the most sleep-deprived group, with 22 percent describing themselves as “sleepy,” compared to only nine percent of baby boomers. Sleep experts recommend that teenagers get 9 hours and 15 minutes of sleep a night but adolescents in the study were only averaging 7 hours and 26 minutes on weeknights.

World Sleep Day 2021: All you need to know

The Chinese military has banned Tesla Inc's cars from military complexes and housing compounds because of concerns about sensitive data being collected by cameras built into the vehicles.

The move follows a security review by the Chinese government as per which officials believe that the sensors in Tesla's cars could record visual images of surrounding locations and obtain data on how and when the cars being used as well as personal information of the drivers and their contact lists synced to the phone.

Tesla, like several other automobile manufacturers, uses internal cameras to provide assistance in parking and self-parking functions.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/elon-musks-tesla-facing-another-roadblock-in-form-of-security-malfunction-362736">Elon Musk's Tesla facing another roadblock in form of security malfunction</a>

Earlier, US&nbsp;electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc said Wednesday a hacking incident reported on Tuesday was restricted to a supplier’s production site in Henan province, China, and its Shanghai car factory and showrooms were not affected.

Tesla China said the hacking incident only involved one of its suppliers’ production sites in China’s Henan province and neither its Shanghai car factory nor showrooms were affected.

It also said data from the supplier’s factory was stored locally and there was no security risk mentioned in the hacking incident. It has stopped the cameras in the supplier’s factory from working or linking to the internet.

Chinese regulators have summoned representatives of US electric car giant&nbsp;Tesla&nbsp;after reported technical problems with their vehicles, notably concerning their safety, officials in Beijing said Monday.&nbsp;

The news comes several months after two recalls of the company's vehicles in China, the world's largest car market.&nbsp;

"Consumers have cited multiple problems, related to unusual accelerations, batteries catching fire, as well as with the remote update system," the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement.&nbsp;

"They were asked to strictly conform to Chinese laws and regulations" in order to "guarantee public security" and the "rights and legitimate interests of consumers", the regulator said.

In 2019, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla had said that the internal cameras in the company's cars was&nbsp;“for when we start competing with Uber/Lyft and people allow their car to earn money for them as part of the Tesla shared autonomy fleet.”

“In case someone messes up your car, you can check the video,'' he had added.

&nbsp;

The Chinese military has banned Tesla Inc's cars from military complexes and housing compounds because of concerns about sensitive data being collected by cameras built into the vehicles.

The Chinese military has banned Tesla Inc's cars from military complexes and housing compounds because of concerns about sensitive data being collected by cameras built into the vehicles. The move follows a security review by the Chinese government as per which officials believe that the sensors in Tesla's cars could record visual images of surrounding locations and obtain data on how and when the cars being used as well as personal information of the drivers and their contact lists synced to the phone. Tesla, like several other automobile manufacturers, uses internal cameras to provide assistance in parking and self-parking functions. Also read| Elon Musk's Tesla facing another roadblock in form of security malfunction Earlier, US electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc said Wednesday a hacking incident reported on Tuesday was restricted to a supplier’s production site in Henan province, China, and its Shanghai car factory and showrooms were not affected. Tesla China said the hacking incident only involved one of its suppliers’ production sites in China’s Henan province and neither its Shanghai car factory nor showrooms were affected. It also said data from the supplier’s factory was stored locally and there was no security risk mentioned in the hacking incident. It has stopped the cameras in the supplier’s factory from working or linking to the internet. Chinese regulators have summoned representatives of US electric car giant Tesla after reported technical problems with their vehicles, notably concerning their safety, officials in Beijing said Monday. The news comes several months after two recalls of the company's vehicles in China, the world's largest car market. "Consumers have cited multiple problems, related to unusual accelerations, batteries catching fire, as well as with the remote update system," the State Administration for Market Regulation said in a statement. "They were asked to strictly conform to Chinese laws and regulations" in order to "guarantee public security" and the "rights and legitimate interests of consumers", the regulator said. In 2019, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla had said that the internal cameras in the company's cars was “for when we start competing with Uber/Lyft and people allow their car to earn money for them as part of the Tesla shared autonomy fleet.” “In case someone messes up your car, you can check the video,'' he had added.

Chinese military bans Tesla cars in its complexes over security concerns

Social networking giant Facebook is planning to develop a new version of its subsidiary Instagram for kids under 13 years of age, where parents would have transparency or control over the accounts of their children.&nbsp;

Earlier, Facebook-owned&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;unveiled technology Tuesday aimed at preventing underage children from creating accounts and blocking adults from contacting young users they don't know.

It was the latest move responding to concerns about inappropriate contact between adults and children on the platform, which like most services sets an age minimum of 13.

Instagram&nbsp;will begin using artificial intelligence to determine a user's age at signup in an effort to find underage users.

"While many people are honest about their age, we know that young people can lie about their date of birth. We want to do more to stop this from happening, but verifying people's age online is complex and something many in our industry are grappling with," a blog post said.

"To address this challenge, we're developing new artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to help us keep teens safer and apply new age-appropriate features."

Additionally, the California giant said it would introduce a new feature that prevents adults from sending messages to people under 18 who don't follow them, to prevent unwanted contact.

"This feature relies on our work to predict peoples' ages using machine learning technology, and the age people give us when they sign up,"&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;said.

Instagram&nbsp;is also looking at ways to make it more difficult for adults who have been exhibiting "potentially suspicious behaviour" to interact with teens, including restricting these adults from seeing suggested teen accounts.

The image-focused network indicated it will alert teens to potentially suspect behaviour by adults, including the sending of large numbers of private messages.

"We'll use this tool to alert the recipients... and give them an option to end the conversation, or block, report, or restrict the adult,"&nbsp;Instagram&nbsp;said.

This is not the first time that Mark Zuckerberg owned company has tried to experiment for its young users. In 2017, the company launched an ad-free version of its Messenger chat platform for kids between the ages of 6 and 12.

However, this idea was discontinued after the Children`s health advocates criticized it as harmful for kids.

Similarly&nbsp;in 2019, a bug in the Messenger Kids app allowed children to join groups with strangers, leaving thousands of kids in chats with unauthorized users. Facebook quietly closed those unauthorized chats, after started to affect a number of users

Social networking giant Facebook is planning to develop a new version of its subsidiary Instagram for kids under 13 years of age, where parents would have transparency or control over the accounts of their children.

Social networking giant Facebook is planning to develop a new version of its subsidiary Instagram for kids under 13 years of age, where parents would have transparency or control over the accounts of their children. Earlier, Facebook-owned Instagram unveiled technology Tuesday aimed at preventing underage children from creating accounts and blocking adults from contacting young users they don't know. It was the latest move responding to concerns about inappropriate contact between adults and children on the platform, which like most services sets an age minimum of 13. Instagram will begin using artificial intelligence to determine a user's age at signup in an effort to find underage users. "While many people are honest about their age, we know that young people can lie about their date of birth. We want to do more to stop this from happening, but verifying people's age online is complex and something many in our industry are grappling with," a blog post said. "To address this challenge, we're developing new artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to help us keep teens safer and apply new age-appropriate features." Additionally, the California giant said it would introduce a new feature that prevents adults from sending messages to people under 18 who don't follow them, to prevent unwanted contact. "This feature relies on our work to predict peoples' ages using machine learning technology, and the age people give us when they sign up," Instagram said. Instagram is also looking at ways to make it more difficult for adults who have been exhibiting "potentially suspicious behaviour" to interact with teens, including restricting these adults from seeing suggested teen accounts. The image-focused network indicated it will alert teens to potentially suspect behaviour by adults, including the sending of large numbers of private messages. "We'll use this tool to alert the recipients... and give them an option to end the conversation, or block, report, or restrict the adult," Instagram said. This is not the first time that Mark Zuckerberg owned company has tried to experiment for its young users. In 2017, the company launched an ad-free version of its Messenger chat platform for kids between the ages of 6 and 12. However, this idea was discontinued after the Children`s health advocates criticized it as harmful for kids. Similarly in 2019, a bug in the Messenger Kids app allowed children to join groups with strangers, leaving thousands of kids in chats with unauthorized users. Facebook quietly closed those unauthorized chats, after started to affect a number of users

Facebook building a version of Instagram for children under 13

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has detected that&nbsp;torrential outflows from infant stars may not stop them from growing.

The unexpected discovery made in the study, which will appear in&nbsp;an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal, may change&nbsp;our understanding of star formation.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/nasas-juno-spacecraft-unveils-dark-origins-of-jupiters-mysterious-auroral-storms-for-first-time-371195" hreflang="en">NASA's Juno spacecraft unveils dark origins of Jupiter's mysterious auroral storms for first time</a>

It has been assumed that a newly forming star blows off a lot of hot gas through lightsaber-shaped outflowing jets and hurricane-like winds launched from the encircling disk by powerful magnetic fields. These fireworks should squelch further growth of the central star. But a new, comprehensive Hubble survey shows that this most common explanation doesn't seem to work, leaving astronomers puzzled.

Researchers used data previously collected from NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes and the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Telescope to analyze 304 developing stars, called protostars, in the Orion Complex, the nearest major star-forming region to Earth. (Spitzer and Herschel are no longer operational).

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rO-mcWsqLaQ" width="560"></iframe>

In this largest-ever survey of nascent stars to date, researchers are finding that gas-clearing by a star's outflow may not be as important in determining its final mass as conventional theories suggest. The researchers' goal was to determine whether stellar outflows halt the infall of gas onto a star and stop it from growing.

Instead, they found that the cavities in the surrounding gas cloud sculpted by a forming star's outflow did not grow regularly as they matured, as theories propose.

"In one stellar formation model, if you start out with a small cavity, as the protostar rapidly becomes more evolved, its outflow creates an ever-larger cavity until the surrounding gas is eventually blown away, leaving an isolated star," explained lead researcher Nolan Habel of the University of Toledo in Ohio.

"Our observations indicate there is no progressive growth that we can find, so the cavities are not growing until they push out all of the mass in the cloud. So, there must be some other process going on that gets rid of the gas that doesn't end up in the star."

A Star is Born

During a star's relatively brief birthing stage, lasting only about 500,000 years, the star quickly bulks up on mass. What gets messy is that, as the star grows, it launches a wind, as well as a pair of spinning, lawn-sprinkler-style jets shooting off in opposite directions. These outflows begin to eat away at the surrounding cloud, creating cavities in the gas.

Popular theories predict that as the young star evolves and the outflows continue, the cavities grow wider until the entire gas cloud around the star is completely pushed away. With its gas tank empty, the star stops accreting mass – in other words, it stops growing.

To look for cavity growth, the researchers first sorted the protostars by age by analyzing Herschel and Spitzer data of each star's light output. The protostars in the Hubble observations were also observed as part of the Herschel telescope's Herschel Orion Protostar Survey.

Then the astronomers observed the cavities in near-infrared light with Hubble's Near-infrared Camera and Multi-object Spectrometer and Wide Field Camera 3. The observations were taken between 2008 and 2017. Although the stars themselves are shrouded in dust, they emit powerful radiation which strikes the cavity walls and scatters off dust grains, illuminating the gaps in the gaseous envelopes in infrared light.

The Hubble images reveal the details of the cavities produced by protostars at various stages of evolution. Habel's team used the images to measure the structures' shapes and estimate the volumes of gas cleared out to form the cavities. From this analysis, they could estimate the amount of mass that had been cleared out by the stars' outbursts. 
 
"We find that at the end of the protostellar phase, where most of the gas has fallen from the surrounding cloud onto the star, a number of young stars still have fairly narrow cavities," said team member Tom Megeath of the University of Toledo. "So, this picture that is still commonly held of what determines the mass of a star and what halts the infall of gas is that this growing outflow cavity scoops up all of the gas. This has been pretty fundamental to our idea of how star formation proceeds, but it just doesn't seem to fit the data here."

Future telescopes such as NASA's upcoming James Webb Space Telescope will probe deeper into a protostar's formation process. Webb spectroscopic observations will observe the inner regions of disks surrounding protostars in infrared light, looking for jets in the youngest sources. Webb also will help astronomers measure the accretion rate of material from the disk onto the star, and study how the inner disk is interacting with the outflow.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has detected that torrential outflows from infant stars may not stop them from growing. The unexpected discovery made in the study, which will appear in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal, may change our understanding of star formation.

NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has detected that torrential outflows from infant stars may not stop them from growing. The unexpected discovery made in the study, which will appear in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal, may change our understanding of star formation. Also read| NASA's Juno spacecraft unveils dark origins of Jupiter's mysterious auroral storms for first time It has been assumed that a newly forming star blows off a lot of hot gas through lightsaber-shaped outflowing jets and hurricane-like winds launched from the encircling disk by powerful magnetic fields. These fireworks should squelch further growth of the central star. But a new, comprehensive Hubble survey shows that this most common explanation doesn't seem to work, leaving astronomers puzzled. Researchers used data previously collected from NASA's Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes and the European Space Agency's Herschel Space Telescope to analyze 304 developing stars, called protostars, in the Orion Complex, the nearest major star-forming region to Earth. (Spitzer and Herschel are no longer operational). In this largest-ever survey of nascent stars to date, researchers are finding that gas-clearing by a star's outflow may not be as important in determining its final mass as conventional theories suggest. The researchers' goal was to determine whether stellar outflows halt the infall of gas onto a star and stop it from growing. Instead, they found that the cavities in the surrounding gas cloud sculpted by a forming star's outflow did not grow regularly as they matured, as theories propose. "In one stellar formation model, if you start out with a small cavity, as the protostar rapidly becomes more evolved, its outflow creates an ever-larger cavity until the surrounding gas is eventually blown away, leaving an isolated star," explained lead researcher Nolan Habel of the University of Toledo in Ohio. "Our observations indicate there is no progressive growth that we can find, so the cavities are not growing until they push out all of the mass in the cloud. So, there must be some other process going on that gets rid of the gas that doesn't end up in the star." A Star is Born During a star's relatively brief birthing stage, lasting only about 500,000 years, the star quickly bulks up on mass. What gets messy is that, as the star grows, it launches a wind, as well as a pair of spinning, lawn-sprinkler-style jets shooting off in opposite directions. These outflows begin to eat away at the surrounding cloud, creating cavities in the gas. Popular theories predict that as the young star evolves and the outflows continue, the cavities grow wider until the entire gas cloud around the star is completely pushed away. With its gas tank empty, the star stops accreting mass – in other words, it stops growing. To look for cavity growth, the researchers first sorted the protostars by age by analyzing Herschel and Spitzer data of each star's light output. The protostars in the Hubble observations were also observed as part of the Herschel telescope's Herschel Orion Protostar Survey. Then the astronomers observed the cavities in near-infrared light with Hubble's Near-infrared Camera and Multi-object Spectrometer and Wide Field Camera 3. The observations were taken between 2008 and 2017. Although the stars themselves are shrouded in dust, they emit powerful radiation which strikes the cavity walls and scatters off dust grains, illuminating the gaps in the gaseous envelopes in infrared light. The Hubble images reveal the details of the cavities produced by protostars at various stages of evolution. Habel's team used the images to measure the structures' shapes and estimate the volumes of gas cleared out to form the cavities. From this analysis, they could estimate the amount of mass that had been cleared out by the stars' outbursts. "We find that at the end of the protostellar phase, where most of the gas has fallen from the surrounding cloud onto the star, a number of young stars still have fairly narrow cavities," said team member Tom Megeath of the University of Toledo. "So, this picture that is still commonly held of what determines the mass of a star and what halts the infall of gas is that this growing outflow cavity scoops up all of the gas. This has been pretty fundamental to our idea of how star formation proceeds, but it just doesn't seem to fit the data here." Future telescopes such as NASA's upcoming James Webb Space Telescope will probe deeper into a protostar's formation process. Webb spectroscopic observations will observe the inner regions of disks surrounding protostars in infrared light, looking for jets in the youngest sources. Webb also will help astronomers measure the accretion rate of material from the disk onto the star, and study how the inner disk is interacting with the outflow.

Astronomers detect torrential outflows from infant stars may not stop them from growing

The Kremlin on Friday said that it is ''prepared for the worst''&nbsp;when it was asked about the possibility of a new Cold War between the United States and Russia.

It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin&nbsp;mocked Joe Biden for calling him a "killer", saying "it takes one to know one", as ties between Moscow and Washington sank to new lows.

US President Biden's comments sparked the biggest crisis between Russia and the United States in years, with Moscow recalling its ambassador for consultations and warning that ties were on the brink of outright "collapse".

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On Friday, the Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Putin's offer of talks remained open and that Putin could do any time that was convenient for Biden, though the offer would not stay on the table indefinitely.

"Putin said that despite everything there's no point in playing at megaphone diplomacy and trading barbs. There is a point in continuing relations," Peskov told reporters on a conference call.

He was asked about a new Cold War between the two countries.

"We, of course, always hope for the best but are always ready for the worst. As far as Russia is concerned, President Putin has clearly stated his desire to continue ties...," he said.

"But of course, we cannot take into account Biden's comments," he said, in a reference to Biden's interview with ABC News broadcast on Wednesday.

In it, Biden said "I do" when asked if he believed Putin was a killer, prompting Putin to cite a Russian children's playground chant in response saying "he who said it, did it".

Moscow and Washington share a mutual distrust that flared after the Kremlin's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.

Ties deteriorated over Russia's alleged meddling in the US elections in 2016 and more recently when the West concluded that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was poisoned last summer with a Soviet-designed nerve agent.

But the two countries have continued cooperation on issues of shared interest, including the Iran nuclear deal and the Afghanistan peace process.

The US Commerce Department announced this week it was toughening export restrictions imposed on Russia as punishment for Navalny's poisoning in August.

Over the past few decades Russia has rarely recalled its ambassadors.

Moscow last summoned its envoy in the US in 1998 over a Western bombing campaign in Iraq.

In 2014, during the fallout after the annexation of Crimea,&nbsp;Putin&nbsp;refused to recall a Washington envoy even after then US President Barack Obama said that the Russian leader would pay for his Ukraine policies.&nbsp;

Putin&nbsp;at the time said recalling an envoy would be a "measure of last resort".

The Kremlin on Friday said that it is ''prepared for the worst'' when it was asked about the possibility of a new Cold War between the United States and Russia. It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin mocked Joe Biden for calling him a "killer", saying "it takes one to know one", as ties between Moscow and Washington sank to new lows.

The Kremlin on Friday said that it is ''prepared for the worst'' when it was asked about the possibility of a new Cold War between the United States and Russia. It comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin mocked Joe Biden for calling him a "killer", saying "it takes one to know one", as ties between Moscow and Washington sank to new lows. US President Biden's comments sparked the biggest crisis between Russia and the United States in years, with Moscow recalling its ambassador for consultations and warning that ties were on the brink of outright "collapse". On Friday, the Kremlin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said Putin's offer of talks remained open and that Putin could do any time that was convenient for Biden, though the offer would not stay on the table indefinitely. "Putin said that despite everything there's no point in playing at megaphone diplomacy and trading barbs. There is a point in continuing relations," Peskov told reporters on a conference call. He was asked about a new Cold War between the two countries. "We, of course, always hope for the best but are always ready for the worst. As far as Russia is concerned, President Putin has clearly stated his desire to continue ties...," he said. "But of course, we cannot take into account Biden's comments," he said, in a reference to Biden's interview with ABC News broadcast on Wednesday. In it, Biden said "I do" when asked if he believed Putin was a killer, prompting Putin to cite a Russian children's playground chant in response saying "he who said it, did it". Moscow and Washington share a mutual distrust that flared after the Kremlin's annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014. Ties deteriorated over Russia's alleged meddling in the US elections in 2016 and more recently when the West concluded that Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny was poisoned last summer with a Soviet-designed nerve agent. But the two countries have continued cooperation on issues of shared interest, including the Iran nuclear deal and the Afghanistan peace process. The US Commerce Department announced this week it was toughening export restrictions imposed on Russia as punishment for Navalny's poisoning in August. Over the past few decades Russia has rarely recalled its ambassadors. Moscow last summoned its envoy in the US in 1998 over a Western bombing campaign in Iraq. In 2014, during the fallout after the annexation of Crimea, Putin refused to recall a Washington envoy even after then US President Barack Obama said that the Russian leader would pay for his Ukraine policies. Putin at the time said recalling an envoy would be a "measure of last resort".

'Prepared for worst': Kremlin on possible new Cold War with US

China on Friday said that it sensed a ''strong smell of gunpowder and drama''&nbsp;from talks with top American diplomats in Alaska, continuing the contentious tone of the first face-to-face meetings under the Biden administration.

The first high-level US-China&nbsp;meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday&nbsp;in Achorage with both sides levelling sharp rebukes of the others' policies in a rare public display that underscored the level of bilateral tension.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/abandon-cold-war-mentality-us-chinese-officials-clash-during-talks-in-alaska-371538">'Abandon Cold War mentality': US, Chinese officials clash during Alaska talks</a>

"It was due to the fact that the US&nbsp;didn't respect the timings that had been agreed upon for the relevant remarks. It is the US&nbsp;that first provoked and stirred conflict (before the talks). So for both sides, from the start of the opening remarks, the venue totally reeked of explosives and was full of dramatic colours. This was not&nbsp;China's original intention," Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said at a daily briefing.

The run-up to the talks in Anchorage, Alaska, which followed visits by US&nbsp;officials to allies Japan and South Korea, was marked by a flurry of moves by Washington that showed it was taking a tough stance, and by a blunt talk from Beijing.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi took aim at each other's country's policies on Thursday in their meeting in Anchorage.

Zhao accused the US side of overrunning the agreed time for opening remarks, prompting a sharp response from the Chinese delegation.

The meetings, set to continue Friday, come amid disputes over trade, technology, human rights and China's territorial claims to Taiwan and islands in the South China and East China seas.

China has also strongly objected to the US calls for greater transparency about the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, the first cases of which were recorded in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.

/''It was the US side that ... Provoked the dispute in the first place, so the two sides had a strong smell of gunpowder and drama from the beginning in the opening remarks. It was not the original intention of the Chinese side," Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing.

At the Alaska meeting, Blinken affirmed US solidarity with its allies in pushing back against China's increasing efforts to spread its authoritarian mode of government through political and economic pressure.

Yang responded with a list of Chinese complaints, accusing Washington of hypocrisy for criticizing Beijing on human rights and other issues at a time when the United States itself has been roiled by domestic discontent.&nbsp;

China on Friday said that it sensed a ''strong smell of gunpowder and drama'' from talks with top American diplomats in Alaska, continuing the contentious tone of the first face-to-face meetings under the Biden administration.

China on Friday said that it sensed a ''strong smell of gunpowder and drama'' from talks with top American diplomats in Alaska, continuing the contentious tone of the first face-to-face meetings under the Biden administration. The first high-level US-China meeting of the Biden administration got off to a fiery start on Thursday in Achorage with both sides levelling sharp rebukes of the others' policies in a rare public display that underscored the level of bilateral tension. Also read: 'Abandon Cold War mentality': US, Chinese officials clash during Alaska talks "It was due to the fact that the US didn't respect the timings that had been agreed upon for the relevant remarks. It is the US that first provoked and stirred conflict (before the talks). So for both sides, from the start of the opening remarks, the venue totally reeked of explosives and was full of dramatic colours. This was not China's original intention," Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said at a daily briefing. The run-up to the talks in Anchorage, Alaska, which followed visits by US officials to allies Japan and South Korea, was marked by a flurry of moves by Washington that showed it was taking a tough stance, and by a blunt talk from Beijing. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Chinese Communist Party foreign affairs chief Yang Jiechi took aim at each other's country's policies on Thursday in their meeting in Anchorage. Zhao accused the US side of overrunning the agreed time for opening remarks, prompting a sharp response from the Chinese delegation. The meetings, set to continue Friday, come amid disputes over trade, technology, human rights and China's territorial claims to Taiwan and islands in the South China and East China seas. China has also strongly objected to the US calls for greater transparency about the origins of the coronavirus pandemic, the first cases of which were recorded in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. /''It was the US side that ... Provoked the dispute in the first place, so the two sides had a strong smell of gunpowder and drama from the beginning in the opening remarks. It was not the original intention of the Chinese side," Zhao told reporters at a daily briefing. At the Alaska meeting, Blinken affirmed US solidarity with its allies in pushing back against China's increasing efforts to spread its authoritarian mode of government through political and economic pressure. Yang responded with a list of Chinese complaints, accusing Washington of hypocrisy for criticizing Beijing on human rights and other issues at a time when the United States itself has been roiled by domestic discontent.

Sensed strong smell of gunpowder in US talks, says China

Researchers have found out that&nbsp;Australian bushfires that&nbsp;ravaged the country were&nbsp;so huge that they spewed as much smoke into the stratosphere as a large volcanic eruption, with serious consequences for the environment, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.&nbsp;

The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere, right above the troposphere, where we live.&nbsp;

The&nbsp;study co-author Ilan Koren, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, said&nbsp;"For us, it was a huge surprise."

"I never saw such an injection (of smoke) to the stratosphere," he said.

The amount of smoke released into the atmosphere by the fires is comparable to that put out by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, which was the second-largest of the 20th century.&nbsp;

Researchers noted that the smoke drifted away from Australia to the east, and then returned again from the west two weeks later.&nbsp;

"We could see the smoke completing a whole circulation in two weeks," Koren said. "I never saw such a strong event spread so fast."

The phenomenon can be explained by three factors, according to the study.

First, the fires themselves were intense. Second, they occurred in an area of far southern Australia where the distance between the troposphere and the stratosphere is smaller than elsewhere. And lastly, the fires took place near strong storms, which helped draw the smoke up higher into the atmosphere.&nbsp;

The fact that the smoke was able to billow so high is crucial to understanding its environmental impact: Usually, such smoke might only stay in the lower part of the atmosphere for a few days or weeks.

"But once it gets to the stratosphere, it stays between months to years," Koren explained.&nbsp;

The winds are stronger up there, allowing the smoke to be dispersed farther and faster than might otherwise be possible.&nbsp;

"Basically what we get is a very thin smoke blanket that covers the whole hemisphere for many months," Koren said.&nbsp;

'Not clear yet'&nbsp;

Researchers could see the smoke in the stratosphere for six months, from January to July 2020, via satellite monitoring.&nbsp;

Eventually, it became too difficult to separate the smoke from the Australian bushfires from smoke in the stratosphere that might have come from other sources.&nbsp;

"But most likely there is still today a signature of the smoke in the stratosphere," Koren said.&nbsp;

The main effect of the smoke staying in the atmosphere for so long is that it can reflect radiation coming from the sun.&nbsp;

According to Koren, that "definitely has a cooling effect overall," especially on the ocean, potentially disrupting processes such as algae photosynthesis in the southern hemisphere.&nbsp;

The smoke can also absorb solar radiation, which can have a localized warming effect.&nbsp;

"The consequences of the warming of the smoke in the stratosphere are not clear yet," Koren said.

Researchers have found out that Australian bushfires that ravaged the country were so huge that they spewed as much smoke into the stratosphere as a large volcanic eruption, with serious consequences for the environment, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science.

Researchers have found out that Australian bushfires that ravaged the country were so huge that they spewed as much smoke into the stratosphere as a large volcanic eruption, with serious consequences for the environment, according to a study published Thursday in the journal Science. The stratosphere is the second layer of the atmosphere, right above the troposphere, where we live. The study co-author Ilan Koren, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, said "For us, it was a huge surprise." "I never saw such an injection (of smoke) to the stratosphere," he said. The amount of smoke released into the atmosphere by the fires is comparable to that put out by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, which was the second-largest of the 20th century. Researchers noted that the smoke drifted away from Australia to the east, and then returned again from the west two weeks later. "We could see the smoke completing a whole circulation in two weeks," Koren said. "I never saw such a strong event spread so fast." The phenomenon can be explained by three factors, according to the study. First, the fires themselves were intense. Second, they occurred in an area of far southern Australia where the distance between the troposphere and the stratosphere is smaller than elsewhere. And lastly, the fires took place near strong storms, which helped draw the smoke up higher into the atmosphere. The fact that the smoke was able to billow so high is crucial to understanding its environmental impact: Usually, such smoke might only stay in the lower part of the atmosphere for a few days or weeks. "But once it gets to the stratosphere, it stays between months to years," Koren explained. The winds are stronger up there, allowing the smoke to be dispersed farther and faster than might otherwise be possible. "Basically what we get is a very thin smoke blanket that covers the whole hemisphere for many months," Koren said. 'Not clear yet' Researchers could see the smoke in the stratosphere for six months, from January to July 2020, via satellite monitoring. Eventually, it became too difficult to separate the smoke from the Australian bushfires from smoke in the stratosphere that might have come from other sources. "But most likely there is still today a signature of the smoke in the stratosphere," Koren said. The main effect of the smoke staying in the atmosphere for so long is that it can reflect radiation coming from the sun. According to Koren, that "definitely has a cooling effect overall," especially on the ocean, potentially disrupting processes such as algae photosynthesis in the southern hemisphere. The smoke can also absorb solar radiation, which can have a localized warming effect. "The consequences of the warming of the smoke in the stratosphere are not clear yet," Koren said.

Australian bushfires spewed as much smoke into stratosphere as a large volcano

India survived some nervy late overs after Suryakumar Yadav's blistering maiden fifty to register a series-levelling eight-run victory over England in the fourth T20 International here on Thursday.

Asked to bat, India posted 185 for 8, their highest total in the series, thanks largely to a 31-ball 57 from Suryakumar and then restricted England to 177 for 8 to win the match and level the five-match series 2-2.

The visiting side were in the hunt till Ben Stokes (46 off 23 balls) and Jonny Bairstow (25 off 19) were on the crease with the Indian bowlers leaking runs in the middle overs. The dew also created problems for the bowlers to grip the ball.

But the home side made a fine recovery with Hardik Pandya and senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar leading the way. England needed 23 from the last over and Jofra Archer hit a four and a six but could not get the required runs in the end.

From 132 for 4 at the end of the 15th over, England could add just 45 runs in the last five overs.

India were led by Rohit Sharma in these anxious moments as Virat Kohli left the field.

Shardul Thakur ended with figures of 3 for 42 while Pandya got 2 for 16. Rahul Chahar also got two and Bhuvneshwar Kumar one wicket.

Earlier, India kept England on a tight leash by giving away just two runs in the first two overs and removing the dangerous Jos Buttler (9) in the third over.

But Jason Roy (40) and Dawin Malan (14) began to pick up the pieces, with England reaching 48 for 1 after the powerplay.

Malan was dropped by Shardul Thakur when on 3 but he did not add too many runs as he was out for 14 in the eighth over with Rahul Chahar cleaning him up. 
With the asking rate nearing 10 an over, England had to play the shots but Roy failed to have a complete control of his pull off Pandya in the ninth over for Suryakumar to complete an easy catch near the boundary.

At 71 for 3 at the halfway stage and the asking rate going past 11 runs per over, England had to take risks and Ben Stokes did just that with two huge sixes, one off Washington Sundar and the other off Chahar.

With the dew giving difficulties to the spinners, Stokes and Jonny Bairstow got the boundaries required to keep the asking rate near 10 an over. 
Stokes was particularly in ominous form as he cleared the boundaries with ease.

But the dismissal of Bairstow in the 15th over and that of Stokes two overs later turned the match in India's favour. The duo had shared 65 runs for the fourth wicket. 
After sending Stokes back, Shardul Thakur took two in two.

Earlier, Suryakumar smashed a blistering maiden fifty and powered India to 185 for 8 after the hosts were asked to bat.

Suryakumar, who replaced an injured Ishan Kishan, struck six fours and three sixes in his 31-ball 57 to top score for India. He debuted in the second T20I but did not bat in that match.

India did not have a big partnership but quickfire knocks from Shreyas Iyer (37 off 18 balls) and Rishabh Pant (30 off 23) took the hosts to their highest total of the series. 
England again opened the attack with leg-spinner Adil Rashid but Rohit Sharma (12) clobbered him for a six in the first ball of the match.

But Rohit's promising innings was cut short in the fourth over as he was caught and bowled by Jofra Archer, who took career-best figures of 4/33.

Suryakumar hit Archer for a six in the first ball he faced in international cricket, picked up the gaps and found the boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving, though the England bowlers were by no means wayward.

India survived some nervy late overs after Suryakumar Yadav's blistering maiden fifty to register a series-levelling eight-run victory over England in the fourth T20 International here on Thursday.

India survived some nervy late overs after Suryakumar Yadav's blistering maiden fifty to register a series-levelling eight-run victory over England in the fourth T20 International here on Thursday. Asked to bat, India posted 185 for 8, their highest total in the series, thanks largely to a 31-ball 57 from Suryakumar and then restricted England to 177 for 8 to win the match and level the five-match series 2-2. The visiting side were in the hunt till Ben Stokes (46 off 23 balls) and Jonny Bairstow (25 off 19) were on the crease with the Indian bowlers leaking runs in the middle overs. The dew also created problems for the bowlers to grip the ball. But the home side made a fine recovery with Hardik Pandya and senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar leading the way. England needed 23 from the last over and Jofra Archer hit a four and a six but could not get the required runs in the end. From 132 for 4 at the end of the 15th over, England could add just 45 runs in the last five overs. India were led by Rohit Sharma in these anxious moments as Virat Kohli left the field. Shardul Thakur ended with figures of 3 for 42 while Pandya got 2 for 16. Rahul Chahar also got two and Bhuvneshwar Kumar one wicket. Earlier, India kept England on a tight leash by giving away just two runs in the first two overs and removing the dangerous Jos Buttler (9) in the third over. But Jason Roy (40) and Dawin Malan (14) began to pick up the pieces, with England reaching 48 for 1 after the powerplay. Malan was dropped by Shardul Thakur when on 3 but he did not add too many runs as he was out for 14 in the eighth over with Rahul Chahar cleaning him up. With the asking rate nearing 10 an over, England had to play the shots but Roy failed to have a complete control of his pull off Pandya in the ninth over for Suryakumar to complete an easy catch near the boundary. At 71 for 3 at the halfway stage and the asking rate going past 11 runs per over, England had to take risks and Ben Stokes did just that with two huge sixes, one off Washington Sundar and the other off Chahar. With the dew giving difficulties to the spinners, Stokes and Jonny Bairstow got the boundaries required to keep the asking rate near 10 an over. Stokes was particularly in ominous form as he cleared the boundaries with ease. But the dismissal of Bairstow in the 15th over and that of Stokes two overs later turned the match in India's favour. The duo had shared 65 runs for the fourth wicket. After sending Stokes back, Shardul Thakur took two in two. Earlier, Suryakumar smashed a blistering maiden fifty and powered India to 185 for 8 after the hosts were asked to bat. Suryakumar, who replaced an injured Ishan Kishan, struck six fours and three sixes in his 31-ball 57 to top score for India. He debuted in the second T20I but did not bat in that match. India did not have a big partnership but quickfire knocks from Shreyas Iyer (37 off 18 balls) and Rishabh Pant (30 off 23) took the hosts to their highest total of the series. England again opened the attack with leg-spinner Adil Rashid but Rohit Sharma (12) clobbered him for a six in the first ball of the match. But Rohit's promising innings was cut short in the fourth over as he was caught and bowled by Jofra Archer, who took career-best figures of 4/33. Suryakumar hit Archer for a six in the first ball he faced in international cricket, picked up the gaps and found the boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving, though the England bowlers were by no means wayward.

Suryakumar's maiden fifty sets up India's 8-run win over England

Tanzania's main opposition leader has demanded information on the health of President John Magufuli, a prominent COVID-19 sceptic whose absence from public view has brought speculation he is receiving medical treatment abroad.

The mere question is now leading to arrests, as the government seeks to contain the rumours.&nbsp;

Magufuli, a 61-year-old leader nicknamed "The Bulldozer," was last seen in public on February&nbsp;27 looking his normal self as he swore in a new chief secretary at State House in&nbsp;Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

Magufuli's absence comes amid a string of high-profile deaths and illnesses attributed to "respiratory problems" or "pneumonia".

Magufuli had for months insisted the virus no longer existed in&nbsp;Tanzania&nbsp;and had been fended off by prayer. He refused to wear a facemask or take lockdown measures.

"Vaccines are not good. If they were, then the white man would have brought vaccines for HIV/AIDS," he said earlier this year. Last year, he dismissed coronavirus testing kits, which he said had returned positive results on a goat and pawpaw fruit.

Tanzania&nbsp;stopped reporting coronavirus data in May last year, when it said it had 509 cases and 21 deaths, according to data held at the World Health Organization, which has called on the country to share its information.

But a week before he was last seen, Magufuli conceded the virus was still circulating, after the vice-president of semi-autonomous Zanzibar was revealed to have died of Covid-19.

"The president's wellbeing is a matter of grave public concern. What's it with Magufuli that we don't deserve to know?", opposition leader Tundu Lissu said in a tweet late on Tuesday as rumours flew on&nbsp;Tanzanian social media.

On Monday, Lissu said on Twitter that his intelligence sources "say he's on life support with COVID and paralysed on one side and from the waist down after a stroke. Tell the people the truth!"

Among the theories in circulation is that Magufuli is severely ill in a hospital in Kenya or India, while another suggests he never left&nbsp;Tanzania&nbsp;at all.

Magufuli was first elected in 2015 and beat Lissu to win re-election last year. He has faced accusations from Western countries and opposition parties of eroding democracy, which he denies.

Tanzania's main opposition leader has demanded information on the health of President John Magufuli, a prominent COVID-19 sceptic whose absence from public view has brought speculation he is receiving medical treatment abroad.

Tanzania's main opposition leader has demanded information on the health of President John Magufuli, a prominent COVID-19 sceptic whose absence from public view has brought speculation he is receiving medical treatment abroad. The mere question is now leading to arrests, as the government seeks to contain the rumours. Magufuli, a 61-year-old leader nicknamed "The Bulldozer," was last seen in public on February 27 looking his normal self as he swore in a new chief secretary at State House in Tanzania's commercial capital Dar es Salaam. Magufuli's absence comes amid a string of high-profile deaths and illnesses attributed to "respiratory problems" or "pneumonia". Magufuli had for months insisted the virus no longer existed in Tanzania and had been fended off by prayer. He refused to wear a facemask or take lockdown measures. "Vaccines are not good. If they were, then the white man would have brought vaccines for HIV/AIDS," he said earlier this year. Last year, he dismissed coronavirus testing kits, which he said had returned positive results on a goat and pawpaw fruit. Tanzania stopped reporting coronavirus data in May last year, when it said it had 509 cases and 21 deaths, according to data held at the World Health Organization, which has called on the country to share its information. But a week before he was last seen, Magufuli conceded the virus was still circulating, after the vice-president of semi-autonomous Zanzibar was revealed to have died of Covid-19. "The president's wellbeing is a matter of grave public concern. What's it with Magufuli that we don't deserve to know?", opposition leader Tundu Lissu said in a tweet late on Tuesday as rumours flew on Tanzanian social media. On Monday, Lissu said on Twitter that his intelligence sources "say he's on life support with COVID and paralysed on one side and from the waist down after a stroke. Tell the people the truth!" Among the theories in circulation is that Magufuli is severely ill in a hospital in Kenya or India, while another suggests he never left Tanzania at all. Magufuli was first elected in 2015 and beat Lissu to win re-election last year. He has faced accusations from Western countries and opposition parties of eroding democracy, which he denies.

Where's Magufuli? Tanzanian leader's absence fuels health concern

Scientists have detected that feeding seaweed to cows is a viable method to reduce methane emissions responsible for causing global warming.

A recent study published in Plos One shows that when researchers who put a small amount of seaweed into the feed of cattle over the course of five months found that the new diet caused the bovines to belch out 82 per cent&nbsp;less methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-burping-cows-a-major-contributor-to-methane-emissions-313868/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Earlier, a study published by Stanford University had shown cow belches produce a lot of methane.&nbsp;

Livestock production, particularly ruminants, contributes to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. These emissions are estimated to be 7.1 Gt carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents annually which accounts for approximately 14.5 per cent&nbsp;of the global anthropogenic GHG emissions.

The majority of GHG emissions from livestock production is in the form of methane (CH4), which is produced largely through enteric fermentation and to a lesser extent manure decomposition.&nbsp;

Therefore, reducing enteric CH4&nbsp;emissions decreases the total agricultural contribution to climate change and can improve productivity through conservation of feed energy. There is potential for mitigation of enteric CH4&nbsp;emissions through a variety of approaches with a focus on the use of feed additives, dietary manipulation and forage quality.

According to&nbsp;Ermias Kebreab, director of the World Food Center and an agricultural scientist at the University of California,&nbsp;“We now have sound evidence that seaweed in cattle diet is effective at reducing greenhouse gases and that the efficacy does not diminish over time.”&nbsp;

Scientists have detected that feeding seaweed to cows is a viable method to reduce methane emissions responsible for causing global warming. A recent study published in Plos One shows that when researchers who put a small amount of seaweed into the feed of cattle over the course of five months found that the new diet caused the bovines to belch out 82 per cent less methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.

Scientists have detected that feeding seaweed to cows is a viable method to reduce methane emissions responsible for causing global warming. A recent study published in Plos One shows that when researchers who put a small amount of seaweed into the feed of cattle over the course of five months found that the new diet caused the bovines to belch out 82 per cent less methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Earlier, a study published by Stanford University had shown cow belches produce a lot of methane. Livestock production, particularly ruminants, contributes to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions globally. These emissions are estimated to be 7.1 Gt carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalents annually which accounts for approximately 14.5 per cent of the global anthropogenic GHG emissions. The majority of GHG emissions from livestock production is in the form of methane (CH4), which is produced largely through enteric fermentation and to a lesser extent manure decomposition. Therefore, reducing enteric CH4 emissions decreases the total agricultural contribution to climate change and can improve productivity through conservation of feed energy. There is potential for mitigation of enteric CH4 emissions through a variety of approaches with a focus on the use of feed additives, dietary manipulation and forage quality. According to Ermias Kebreab, director of the World Food Center and an agricultural scientist at the University of California, “We now have sound evidence that seaweed in cattle diet is effective at reducing greenhouse gases and that the efficacy does not diminish over time.”

Cows fed small amount of seaweed burp 86% less methane: Study

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Zee News Rajasthan

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Vyomica Berry

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