January 14 in history: Landing of European Huygens space probe and more

Istanbul may&nbsp;run out of water in 45 days with&nbsp;Turkey facing the worst drought in 10 years with dams drying across the country.

Sprawling underdevelopment and poor rainfall are&nbsp;being blamed for putting Istanbul, the megacity of 17 million people close to running out water.

Earlier, Ankara's mayor Mansur Yavas had confirmed that city's Omerli dam had only 110 days worth of water left in its&nbsp;reservoir, the lowest in last 15 years.

Meanwhile, Turkey's next two biggest cities, Izmir and Bursa are also struggling with their dam capacity being depleted to 36 and 24 per cent respectively.

Turkey is a ''water-stressed'' country as it produces only 1346 cubic metres of water per capita per year. The critically low rainfall in the second half of 2020 led farmers to warn of crop failure.

Turkey has faced several droughts since the 1980s due to industrialisation, population growth and climate change.

As per&nbsp;Istanbul Technical University academic&nbsp;Sevinç Asilhan, ''Turkey has a semi-arid climate due to its geographical location and said the country's reduction in the number of forests and green areas has made the drought more severe.''

Dr Akgün İlhan, a water management expert at the Istanbul Policy Center said: “Instead of focusing on measures to keep water demand under control, Turkey insists on expanding its water supply through building more dams …&nbsp;Turkey&nbsp;has built hundreds of dams in the last two decades.”

“The warning signs have been there for decades but not much has been done in practice.”

Turkey has been criticised for prioritising economic growth and neglecting environmental concerns and remains the only G20 country besides the United States to ratify the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Istanbul may run out of water in 45 days with Turkey facing the worst drought in 10 years with dams drying across the country. Sprawling underdevelopment and poor rainfall are being blamed for putting Istanbul, the megacity of 17 million people close to running out water.

Istanbul may run out of water in 45 days with Turkey facing the worst drought in 10 years with dams drying across the country. Sprawling underdevelopment and poor rainfall are being blamed for putting Istanbul, the megacity of 17 million people close to running out water. Earlier, Ankara's mayor Mansur Yavas had confirmed that city's Omerli dam had only 110 days worth of water left in its reservoir, the lowest in last 15 years. Meanwhile, Turkey's next two biggest cities, Izmir and Bursa are also struggling with their dam capacity being depleted to 36 and 24 per cent respectively. Turkey is a ''water-stressed'' country as it produces only 1346 cubic metres of water per capita per year. The critically low rainfall in the second half of 2020 led farmers to warn of crop failure. Turkey has faced several droughts since the 1980s due to industrialisation, population growth and climate change. As per Istanbul Technical University academic Sevinç Asilhan, ''Turkey has a semi-arid climate due to its geographical location and said the country's reduction in the number of forests and green areas has made the drought more severe.'' Dr Akgün İlhan, a water management expert at the Istanbul Policy Center said: “Instead of focusing on measures to keep water demand under control, Turkey insists on expanding its water supply through building more dams … Turkey has built hundreds of dams in the last two decades.” “The warning signs have been there for decades but not much has been done in practice.” Turkey has been criticised for prioritising economic growth and neglecting environmental concerns and remains the only G20 country besides the United States to ratify the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Istanbul may run out of water in 45 days due to severe drought

The United States has&nbsp;announced an import ban on all cotton and tomato products from western China's&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;region on Wednesday over allegations that they are made with forced labour from detained Uighur Muslims.

The Customs and Border Protection agency issued a "withhold release order" on those imports "based on information that reasonably indicates the use of detainee or prison labour and situations of forced labour," it said.

The agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), estimates that about $9 billion of cotton products and $10 million worth of tomato products were imported from China into the United States in the past year.

DHS acting deputy secretary Kenneth Cuccinelli told a news briefing the order sends a message to importers that "DHS will not tolerate forced labour of any kind" and companies should eradicate&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;products from their supply chains.

It was the latest in a series of withholding release orders issued on products originating in China's huge far-west region, where the government has forced more than one million ethnic Uighur Muslims and other minorities into prison camps, according to human rights groups.

In December, Congress passed the bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which assumes that all goods manufactured in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;are made with forced labour and therefore banned unless CBP certifies otherwise.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his final days in office, has been weighing a determination as to whether forced labour in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;constitutes an "atrocity" or labelling it "genocide," which analysts say would have significant implications for relations with China.

The region-wide import ban follows a move to block cotton imports from China's largest producer, the military-linked&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;Production and Construction Corps (XPCC). Both will have a big impact on cotton production in&nbsp;Xinjiang, which produces as much as 20 per cent&nbsp;of the world's supply of the commodity.

Cotton futures prices fell slightly on Wednesday, but traders attributed the drop to profit-taking after prices hit a two year high on a US&nbsp;production outlook cut.

CBP officials said some 43 shipments of cotton-based products have been detained at US&nbsp;entry ports since the XPCC ban was announced.

The US&nbsp;apparel industry had previously criticized a broad ban as impossible to enforce. On Tuesday, a coalition of apparel and retail groups said in a joint statement that members were working to push forced labour from their supply chains but hoped to work with CBP "to make sure that enforcement is smart, transparent, targeted and effective."

The United Nations cites what it says are credible reports that 1 million Muslims held in camps have been put to work in&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;and faith leaders, activist groups and others have said crimes against humanity, including genocide, are taking place.

China denies mistreating Uighurs and says the camps are vocational training centres needed to fight extremism.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said in a statement the forced labour issue was a "political lie" and vowed to take actions to safeguard the rights of its companies.

"The US&nbsp;side resorts to pressure, sanctions and other means to suppress&nbsp;Xinjiang&nbsp;enterprises and undercut&nbsp;Xinjiang's stability, development and prosperity," the statement said.

The United States has announced an import ban on all cotton and tomato products from western China's Xinjiang region on Wednesday over allegations that they are made with forced labour from detained Uighur Muslims.

The United States has announced an import ban on all cotton and tomato products from western China's Xinjiang region on Wednesday over allegations that they are made with forced labour from detained Uighur Muslims. The Customs and Border Protection agency issued a "withhold release order" on those imports "based on information that reasonably indicates the use of detainee or prison labour and situations of forced labour," it said. The agency, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), estimates that about $9 billion of cotton products and $10 million worth of tomato products were imported from China into the United States in the past year. DHS acting deputy secretary Kenneth Cuccinelli told a news briefing the order sends a message to importers that "DHS will not tolerate forced labour of any kind" and companies should eradicate Xinjiang products from their supply chains. It was the latest in a series of withholding release orders issued on products originating in China's huge far-west region, where the government has forced more than one million ethnic Uighur Muslims and other minorities into prison camps, according to human rights groups. In December, Congress passed the bipartisan Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, which assumes that all goods manufactured in Xinjiang are made with forced labour and therefore banned unless CBP certifies otherwise. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in his final days in office, has been weighing a determination as to whether forced labour in Xinjiang constitutes an "atrocity" or labelling it "genocide," which analysts say would have significant implications for relations with China. The region-wide import ban follows a move to block cotton imports from China's largest producer, the military-linked Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC). Both will have a big impact on cotton production in Xinjiang, which produces as much as 20 per cent of the world's supply of the commodity. Cotton futures prices fell slightly on Wednesday, but traders attributed the drop to profit-taking after prices hit a two year high on a US production outlook cut. CBP officials said some 43 shipments of cotton-based products have been detained at US entry ports since the XPCC ban was announced. The US apparel industry had previously criticized a broad ban as impossible to enforce. On Tuesday, a coalition of apparel and retail groups said in a joint statement that members were working to push forced labour from their supply chains but hoped to work with CBP "to make sure that enforcement is smart, transparent, targeted and effective." The United Nations cites what it says are credible reports that 1 million Muslims held in camps have been put to work in Xinjiang and faith leaders, activist groups and others have said crimes against humanity, including genocide, are taking place. China denies mistreating Uighurs and says the camps are vocational training centres needed to fight extremism. The Chinese embassy in Washington said in a statement the forced labour issue was a "political lie" and vowed to take actions to safeguard the rights of its companies. "The US side resorts to pressure, sanctions and other means to suppress Xinjiang enterprises and undercut Xinjiang's stability, development and prosperity," the statement said.

US bans imports of all cotton, tomato products from China's Xinjiang region over forced labour concerns

Saudi&nbsp;Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom offers investment opportunities worth $6 trillion over the next decade, with new projects representing half of this value, the state news agency reported, citing his speech at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.

The opportunities are part of the young prince's Vision 2030, aimed at ending the kingdom’s dependence on oil and transforming it into a global investment power.

The prince, known in the West as MbS, plans to create new sectors and develop domestic projects that would create jobs for millions of&nbsp;Saudis, through the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom's sovereign investment fund that acts as the main vehicle boosting investments at home and abroad.

PIF will finance 85 per cent&nbsp;of these opportunities along with the&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;private sector, while the remaining financing will come from capital investments from investors in the Gulf and globally,&nbsp;Saudi&nbsp;Press Agency said, quoting the prince's speech.

The PIF is the cornerstone investor in a number of mega projects including a high-tech economic zone dubbed NEOM planned for an area close to the size of Belgium, an entertainment park outside Riyadh called Qiddiya being built on a site 2-1/2 times larger than Disney World, and a luxury tourist resort off the Red Sea coast that will span 50 islands.

This week, Prince Mohammed unveiled plans to build a zero-carbon city at NEOM, with infrastructure costs of $100 billion to $200 billion.

The world’s top oil exporter is expected to borrow tens of billions of dollars this year to fill state coffers hit by lower oil prices and to boost liquidity at the PIF.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom offers investment opportunities worth $6 trillion over the next decade, with new projects representing half of this value, the state news agency reported, citing his speech at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the kingdom offers investment opportunities worth $6 trillion over the next decade, with new projects representing half of this value, the state news agency reported, citing his speech at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday. The opportunities are part of the young prince's Vision 2030, aimed at ending the kingdom’s dependence on oil and transforming it into a global investment power. The prince, known in the West as MbS, plans to create new sectors and develop domestic projects that would create jobs for millions of Saudis, through the Public Investment Fund (PIF), the kingdom's sovereign investment fund that acts as the main vehicle boosting investments at home and abroad. PIF will finance 85 per cent of these opportunities along with the Saudi private sector, while the remaining financing will come from capital investments from investors in the Gulf and globally, Saudi Press Agency said, quoting the prince's speech. The PIF is the cornerstone investor in a number of mega projects including a high-tech economic zone dubbed NEOM planned for an area close to the size of Belgium, an entertainment park outside Riyadh called Qiddiya being built on a site 2-1/2 times larger than Disney World, and a luxury tourist resort off the Red Sea coast that will span 50 islands. This week, Prince Mohammed unveiled plans to build a zero-carbon city at NEOM, with infrastructure costs of $100 billion to $200 billion. The world’s top oil exporter is expected to borrow tens of billions of dollars this year to fill state coffers hit by lower oil prices and to boost liquidity at the PIF.

Saudi crown prince says kingdom offers $6 trillion investment opportunities over next decade

Afghan commando forces released 13 civilians and one policeman from a Taliban prison in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, the Afghan defense ministry said on Thursday.

"13 #civilians and a police officer were released from #Taliban prison as a result of commando forces` operations in Washir district of #Helmand province last night. Also, several Taliban`s vehicles were seized during the operation," the ministry wrote on its Twitter account.

The ministry added that the Afghan national army (ANA) killed seven Taliban militants who planned to blow up a car bomb among civilians in the northern province of Faryab.

"ANA prevented a car bomb attack in Qaisar district of #Faryab province yesterday. 7 #suicide attackers who were in the car loaded with explosives were killed as a result of the #ANA attack before they could reach their target. TB [the Taliban] had planned to blow up the car among civilians," the ministry said.

Afghanistan is still plagued by long-lasting violence that claims the lives of Afghan civilians and security personnel, despite the ongoing intra-Afghan peace negotiations that began in the Qatari capital of Doha on September 12.

In early December, Kabul and the Taliban took a three-week break in their talks for consultations on a negotiation framework. The sides resumed negotiations on January 6 in Qatar`s capital Doha. However, the resumption of talks has so far failed to improve the security situation in Afghanistan.

Afghan commando forces released 13 civilians and one policeman from a Taliban prison in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, the Afghan defense ministry said on Thursday.

Afghan commando forces released 13 civilians and one policeman from a Taliban prison in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, the Afghan defense ministry said on Thursday. "13 #civilians and a police officer were released from #Taliban prison as a result of commando forces` operations in Washir district of #Helmand province last night. Also, several Taliban`s vehicles were seized during the operation," the ministry wrote on its Twitter account. The ministry added that the Afghan national army (ANA) killed seven Taliban militants who planned to blow up a car bomb among civilians in the northern province of Faryab. "ANA prevented a car bomb attack in Qaisar district of #Faryab province yesterday. 7 #suicide attackers who were in the car loaded with explosives were killed as a result of the #ANA attack before they could reach their target. TB [the Taliban] had planned to blow up the car among civilians," the ministry said. Afghanistan is still plagued by long-lasting violence that claims the lives of Afghan civilians and security personnel, despite the ongoing intra-Afghan peace negotiations that began in the Qatari capital of Doha on September 12. In early December, Kabul and the Taliban took a three-week break in their talks for consultations on a negotiation framework. The sides resumed negotiations on January 6 in Qatar`s capital Doha. However, the resumption of talks has so far failed to improve the security situation in Afghanistan.

Afghan military releases 13 civilians, policeman from Taliban prison

Elon Musk-led Tesla has registered a subsidiary company in Bengaluru as it prepares to create a much-awaited manufacturing plant and R&amp;D unit in India.

The company, registered as Tesla Motors India &amp; Energy Pvt Ltd, has named three directors as part of its team in the country, Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram and David Jon Feinstein.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/elon-musks-tesla-registers-india-office-in-bengaluru-to-start-operations-with-rd-unit-356324" hreflang="en">Tesla registers India office in Bengaluru, to start operations with R&amp;D unit</a>

It is a private unlisted company with an authorized capital of Rs 15,00,000 and a paid-up capital of Rs 1,00,000.

This announcement officially marks Tesla’s India entry in the state of Karnataka. It would be interesting to see if the company would set-up its manufacturing base in Karnataka, or will continue to keep up the suspense and be wooed away by some other state.

Twitter users in India couldn't contain their excitement and shared their views on Tesla's much-anticipated arrival in the country.

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Proud moment for Karnataka as Tesla enters India by registering in Bengaluru. 
 
Truly, Bengaluru is the beating heart of Indian innovation. 
 
Hope one day Bengaluru will be the greatest innovation hub in the world.
— Abhishek (@AbhishBanerj) <a href="https://twitter.com/AbhishBanerj/status/1349189097961574402?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Some netizens rushed to buy the company's much-awaited electric cars and shared the copies of their bills after purchasing their ''dream cars''.

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It's here!! Welcome Tesla!! 😍😍🔥🔥 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Teslaindia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Teslaindia</a> <a href="https://t.co/qqAn9b4ok8">pic.twitter.com/qqAn9b4ok8</a>
— Ronit Gupta (@ronit_gupta18) <a href="https://twitter.com/ronit_gupta18/status/1349190797816696832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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However, few netizens warned Tesla about India's notorious traffic jams and&nbsp;expressed their scepticism about the uneven roads.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Teslaindia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Teslaindia</a> 
Tesla Be aware about Indian traffic, "Auto drive" mode may not be working here... <a href="https://t.co/Vo9ttaF0wV">pic.twitter.com/Vo9ttaF0wV</a>
— fᵣₑₑ wₐy 🗨 (@T_O_freeway) <a href="https://twitter.com/T_O_freeway/status/1349183622549409792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Teslaindia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Teslaindia</a> 
elon musk after seeing the condition of indian roads : <a href="https://t.co/X9EpKUSkFp">pic.twitter.com/X9EpKUSkFp</a>
— Tushar Patel (@tusharrrpatel) <a href="https://twitter.com/tusharrrpatel/status/1349053489830260736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Tesla on Indian roads.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Teslaindia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Teslaindia</a> 🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/XIZLfGXf7B">pic.twitter.com/XIZLfGXf7B</a>
— Kachre Wala (@GaadiWalaa) <a href="https://twitter.com/GaadiWalaa/status/1349072179594371072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Elon Musk, who recently became the wealthiest individual in the world overtaking Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, also enjoys a cult-figure like status in India as he does abroad which has added to the growing demand for Tesla and its products.

India’s transport minister Nitin Gadkari told a local newspaper in December the US electric carmaker would start with sales and then might look at assembly and manufacturing.

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has tweeted several times in recent years, including as recently as October 2020, about an impending foray into India.

The move comes as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting the production and use of electric vehicles to reduce the country’s oil dependence and cut down on pollution.

Elon Musk-led Tesla has registered a subsidiary company in Bengaluru as it prepares to create a much-awaited manufacturing plant and R&D unit in India. The company, registered as Tesla Motors India & Energy Pvt Ltd, has named three directors as part of its team in the country, Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram and David Jon Feinstein.

Elon Musk-led Tesla has registered a subsidiary company in Bengaluru as it prepares to create a much-awaited manufacturing plant and R&D unit in India. The company, registered as Tesla Motors India & Energy Pvt Ltd, has named three directors as part of its team in the country, Vaibhav Taneja, Venkatrangam Sreeram and David Jon Feinstein. Also read: Tesla registers India office in Bengaluru, to start operations with R&D unit It is a private unlisted company with an authorized capital of Rs 15,00,000 and a paid-up capital of Rs 1,00,000. This announcement officially marks Tesla’s India entry in the state of Karnataka. It would be interesting to see if the company would set-up its manufacturing base in Karnataka, or will continue to keep up the suspense and be wooed away by some other state. Twitter users in India couldn't contain their excitement and shared their views on Tesla's much-anticipated arrival in the country. Proud moment for Karnataka as Tesla enters India by registering in Bengaluru. Truly, Bengaluru is the beating heart of Indian innovation. Hope one day Bengaluru will be the greatest innovation hub in the world. — Abhishek (@AbhishBanerj) January 13, 2021 × Some netizens rushed to buy the company's much-awaited electric cars and shared the copies of their bills after purchasing their ''dream cars''. It's here!! Welcome Tesla!! 😍😍🔥🔥 #Teslaindia pic.twitter.com/qqAn9b4ok8 — Ronit Gupta (@ronit_gupta18) January 13, 2021 × However, few netizens warned Tesla about India's notorious traffic jams and expressed their scepticism about the uneven roads. #Teslaindia Tesla Be aware about Indian traffic, "Auto drive" mode may not be working here... pic.twitter.com/Vo9ttaF0wV — fᵣₑₑ wₐy 🗨 (@T_O_freeway) January 13, 2021 × #Teslaindia elon musk after seeing the condition of indian roads : pic.twitter.com/X9EpKUSkFp — Tushar Patel (@tusharrrpatel) January 12, 2021 × Tesla on Indian roads.#Teslaindia 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/XIZLfGXf7B — Kachre Wala (@GaadiWalaa) January 12, 2021 × Elon Musk, who recently became the wealthiest individual in the world overtaking Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, also enjoys a cult-figure like status in India as he does abroad which has added to the growing demand for Tesla and its products. India’s transport minister Nitin Gadkari told a local newspaper in December the US electric carmaker would start with sales and then might look at assembly and manufacturing. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk has tweeted several times in recent years, including as recently as October 2020, about an impending foray into India. The move comes as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is promoting the production and use of electric vehicles to reduce the country’s oil dependence and cut down on pollution.

Twitter users 'stuck in traffic jam' with memes after Tesla officially enters India

The wax statues of a Brazilian&nbsp;septuagenarian called&nbsp;Arlindo Armacollo are going viral on social media after netizens debating whether the sculptor achieved his goal or not.

Armacollo had displayed the wax statues six years ago in a Brazilian town called Rolandia but the images went viral after a new report was unearthed on social media.

The artist had made sculptors of famous personalities including&nbsp;Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and&nbsp;Marilyn Monroe.

Armacollo is being criticised by several people for his bizarre works calling it a ''Brazilian horror story'' which resemble a ''plastic surgery gone wrong''.

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Qual estátua do museu de cera ficou mais bizarra? <a href="https://t.co/1FPf5KSsHK">pic.twitter.com/1FPf5KSsHK</a>
— André Rochadel quer vacina (@andre_rochadel) <a href="https://twitter.com/andre_rochadel/status/1346881917917024259?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 6, 2021</a></blockquote>
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brazilian horror story: museu de cera <a href="https://t.co/tEMNn8SkhG">pic.twitter.com/tEMNn8SkhG</a>
— AlexO (@eualexo) <a href="https://twitter.com/eualexo/status/1346568048866635776?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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His supporters defended his works saying&nbsp;“It might look simple, but to achieve this richness of detail was hard work. The artist wanted to capture the character as well as the soul of each person.”

Meanwhile,&nbsp;Armacollo said he ''couldn't care less about the criticism'' and&nbsp;“If it was about making money it might bother me whether people appreciated what I was doing or not. But I do the things I do because I enjoy them. I did this for our town. If people like it, come and visit. If they don’t, don’t.”&nbsp;

The artist, who is a supporter of right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro, wanted to honour the president “But then I thought: ‘I’m going to hold off for a bit to keep an eye on his behaviour.’ For now, I’m still behind him and think he’s on the right path – but let’s wait a bit more to see if that solidifies.”

Armacollo revealed he hopes the ''commotion'' will attract more tourists from other cities and abroad to view his wax statues.

&nbsp;

The wax statues of a Brazilian septuagenarian called Arlindo Armacollo are going viral on social media after netizens debating whether the sculptor achieved his goal or not.

The wax statues of a Brazilian septuagenarian called Arlindo Armacollo are going viral on social media after netizens debating whether the sculptor achieved his goal or not. Armacollo had displayed the wax statues six years ago in a Brazilian town called Rolandia but the images went viral after a new report was unearthed on social media. The artist had made sculptors of famous personalities including Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana, Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and Marilyn Monroe. Armacollo is being criticised by several people for his bizarre works calling it a ''Brazilian horror story'' which resemble a ''plastic surgery gone wrong''. Qual estátua do museu de cera ficou mais bizarra? pic.twitter.com/1FPf5KSsHK — André Rochadel quer vacina (@andre_rochadel) January 6, 2021 × brazilian horror story: museu de cera pic.twitter.com/tEMNn8SkhG — AlexO (@eualexo) January 5, 2021 × His supporters defended his works saying “It might look simple, but to achieve this richness of detail was hard work. The artist wanted to capture the character as well as the soul of each person.” Meanwhile, Armacollo said he ''couldn't care less about the criticism'' and “If it was about making money it might bother me whether people appreciated what I was doing or not. But I do the things I do because I enjoy them. I did this for our town. If people like it, come and visit. If they don’t, don’t.” The artist, who is a supporter of right-wing populist Jair Bolsonaro, wanted to honour the president “But then I thought: ‘I’m going to hold off for a bit to keep an eye on his behaviour.’ For now, I’m still behind him and think he’s on the right path – but let’s wait a bit more to see if that solidifies.” Armacollo revealed he hopes the ''commotion'' will attract more tourists from other cities and abroad to view his wax statues.

'Horror story': Brazilian wax statues go viral after internet melts down over peculiar works

An unusually hot, rocky 'super-Earth' has been found orbiting&nbsp;one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way by astronomers.

The study accepted for publication&nbsp;in the Astronomical Journal was presented to the American Astronomical Society.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/a-galaxy-caught-dying-astronomers-capture-distant-galaxy-losing-its-ability-to-form-stars-356205" hreflang="en">A galaxy caught dying? Astronomers capture distant galaxy losing its ability to form stars</a>

Known as TOI-561b, the exoplanet is one of the oldest and most-metal poor planetary systems discovered yet in the Milky Way. It the first rocky world around a galactic thick-disk star confirmed with thermal emissions.

The bright star hosts three transitory planets discovered by NASA's&nbsp;Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which was launched in 2018 to&nbsp;hunt for planets around some of the closest and brightest stars".

The study's co-author and an astrophysicist at the University of California&nbsp;Stephen Kane said: “For every day you’re on Earth, this planet orbits its star twice.”

The planet has three times the mass of Earth but the same density as our planet. To confirm their findings the astronomers used&nbsp;W. M. Keck Observatory High-Resolution Echelle Spectrometer.

“This is surprising because you’d expect the density to be higher,” Kane said. “This is consistent with the notion that the planet is extremely old.”

The super-Earth's proximity to host enables an above-average surface temperature on the planet exceeding 3,140&nbsp;Fahrenheit.

As per the lead author of the study&nbsp;Lauren Weiss, "Its existence shows that the universe has been forming rocky planets almost since its inception 14 billion years ago."

"This planet formed at a time when the majority of stars in our galaxy were first beginning to shine," Weiss said at the conference on Monday.

TOI-561b's low density suggests that it has relatively few elements and is therefore 10 billion years old.

"Information about a planet's interior gives us a sense of whether the surface of the planet is habitable by life as we know it," Kane said. "Though this particular planet is unlikely to be inhabited today, it may be a harbinger of many rocky worlds yet to be discovered around our galaxy's oldest stars."

An unusually hot, rocky 'super-Earth' has been found orbiting one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way by astronomers. The study accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal was presented to the American Astronomical Society.

An unusually hot, rocky 'super-Earth' has been found orbiting one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way by astronomers. The study accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal was presented to the American Astronomical Society. Also read: A galaxy caught dying? Astronomers capture distant galaxy losing its ability to form stars Known as TOI-561b, the exoplanet is one of the oldest and most-metal poor planetary systems discovered yet in the Milky Way. It the first rocky world around a galactic thick-disk star confirmed with thermal emissions. The bright star hosts three transitory planets discovered by NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, which was launched in 2018 to hunt for planets around some of the closest and brightest stars". The study's co-author and an astrophysicist at the University of California Stephen Kane said: “For every day you’re on Earth, this planet orbits its star twice.” The planet has three times the mass of Earth but the same density as our planet. To confirm their findings the astronomers used W. M. Keck Observatory High-Resolution Echelle Spectrometer. “This is surprising because you’d expect the density to be higher,” Kane said. “This is consistent with the notion that the planet is extremely old.” The super-Earth's proximity to host enables an above-average surface temperature on the planet exceeding 3,140 Fahrenheit. As per the lead author of the study Lauren Weiss, "Its existence shows that the universe has been forming rocky planets almost since its inception 14 billion years ago." "This planet formed at a time when the majority of stars in our galaxy were first beginning to shine," Weiss said at the conference on Monday. TOI-561b's low density suggests that it has relatively few elements and is therefore 10 billion years old. "Information about a planet's interior gives us a sense of whether the surface of the planet is habitable by life as we know it," Kane said. "Though this particular planet is unlikely to be inhabited today, it may be a harbinger of many rocky worlds yet to be discovered around our galaxy's oldest stars."

Unusually hot 'super-Earth' planet spotted orbiting one of the oldest stars in the Milky Way

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Indonesia launched one of the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccination campaigns on Wednesday with President Joko Widodo getting the first shot of a Chinese vaccine as his country fights one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Asia.

The drive aims to inoculate 181.5 million people, with the first to be vaccinated receiving the CoronaVac vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech, which Indonesia authorised for emergency use on Monday.

Dressed in a white shirt and wearing a mask, the president, who is known as Jokowi, got his shot at the presidential palace.

"Vaccination is important to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission and give protection to us and safety to every Indonesian and help accelerate economic recovery," Jokowi said after getting his injection.

Some other officials being vaccinated showed off their shot marks to waiting journalists and flexed their arms.

Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin has said nearly 1.5 million medical workers would be inoculated by February, followed by public servants and the general population within 15 months.

Unlike many countries, Indonesia intends to inoculate its working population first, rather than the elderly, partly because it does not have enough data from clinical trials on CoronaVac's efficacy on older people.

Indonesia on Wednesday reported daily record increases in both cases and deaths, taking overall coronavirus fatalities to 24,951 and infections to 858,043.

Helped by optimism about the vaccination campaign, Indonesian stocks, which have risen in the past few days, extended gains on Wednesday with the main index up 0.62 per cent. The rupiah rose 0.46 per cent.

'Not one bullet'

Southeast Asia's largest economy suffered its first recession in more than two decades last year due to the pandemic, with the government estimating a contraction of as much as 2.2 per cent.

The government has said two-thirds of the 270 million population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, with the cost of the programme expected to be more than 74 trillion rupiah ($5.26 billion).

Olivia Herlinda, a researcher at the Center for Indonesia's Strategic Development Initiatives, said authorities had not taken into account the vaccine efficacy and virus reproduction rate to justify its herd immunity focus.

Epidemiologist Masdalina Pane said that vaccines had to be accompanied by increased testing and tracing.

"There's not one bullet," she said.

Budi said Indonesia's testing and tracing needed improving, adding there was an imbalance in testing resources across the archipelago.

Some doctors have expressed concern about the vaccination campaign and questioned how effective Sinovac's vaccine will be, even though they have suffered one of the world's highest death rates from the virus.

Indonesia has said its trials showed CoronaVac has an efficacy rate of 65.3 per cent, but Brazilian researchers said on Tuesday the vaccine was only 50.4&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;effective.

Indonesia's food and drugs authority BPOM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bambang Heriyanto, corporate secretary of Bio Farma, the Indonesian company involved in the trials, said the Brazilian data was still above the 50&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;benchmark set by the World Health Organization.

Turkish researchers said in December CoronaVac showed a 91.25&nbsp;per cent&nbsp;efficacy based on interim analysis.

Indonesia expects to get another 122.5 million doses of CoronaVac by January 2022, with about 30 million doses due by the end of the first quarter this year.

It has also secured nearly 330 million doses of other vaccines, including from AstraZeneca and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech.

Indonesia launched one of the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccination campaigns on Wednesday with President Joko Widodo getting the first shot of a Chinese vaccine as his country fights one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Asia.

Indonesia launched one of the world's biggest COVID-19 vaccination campaigns on Wednesday with President Joko Widodo getting the first shot of a Chinese vaccine as his country fights one of the worst coronavirus outbreaks in Asia. The drive aims to inoculate 181.5 million people, with the first to be vaccinated receiving the CoronaVac vaccine from China's Sinovac Biotech, which Indonesia authorised for emergency use on Monday. Dressed in a white shirt and wearing a mask, the president, who is known as Jokowi, got his shot at the presidential palace. "Vaccination is important to break the chain of COVID-19 transmission and give protection to us and safety to every Indonesian and help accelerate economic recovery," Jokowi said after getting his injection. Some other officials being vaccinated showed off their shot marks to waiting journalists and flexed their arms. Minister of Health Budi Gunadi Sadikin has said nearly 1.5 million medical workers would be inoculated by February, followed by public servants and the general population within 15 months. Unlike many countries, Indonesia intends to inoculate its working population first, rather than the elderly, partly because it does not have enough data from clinical trials on CoronaVac's efficacy on older people. Indonesia on Wednesday reported daily record increases in both cases and deaths, taking overall coronavirus fatalities to 24,951 and infections to 858,043. Helped by optimism about the vaccination campaign, Indonesian stocks, which have risen in the past few days, extended gains on Wednesday with the main index up 0.62 per cent. The rupiah rose 0.46 per cent. 'Not one bullet' Southeast Asia's largest economy suffered its first recession in more than two decades last year due to the pandemic, with the government estimating a contraction of as much as 2.2 per cent. The government has said two-thirds of the 270 million population must be vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, with the cost of the programme expected to be more than 74 trillion rupiah ($5.26 billion). Olivia Herlinda, a researcher at the Center for Indonesia's Strategic Development Initiatives, said authorities had not taken into account the vaccine efficacy and virus reproduction rate to justify its herd immunity focus. Epidemiologist Masdalina Pane said that vaccines had to be accompanied by increased testing and tracing. "There's not one bullet," she said. Budi said Indonesia's testing and tracing needed improving, adding there was an imbalance in testing resources across the archipelago. Some doctors have expressed concern about the vaccination campaign and questioned how effective Sinovac's vaccine will be, even though they have suffered one of the world's highest death rates from the virus. Indonesia has said its trials showed CoronaVac has an efficacy rate of 65.3 per cent, but Brazilian researchers said on Tuesday the vaccine was only 50.4 per cent effective. Indonesia's food and drugs authority BPOM did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bambang Heriyanto, corporate secretary of Bio Farma, the Indonesian company involved in the trials, said the Brazilian data was still above the 50 per cent benchmark set by the World Health Organization. Turkish researchers said in December CoronaVac showed a 91.25 per cent efficacy based on interim analysis. Indonesia expects to get another 122.5 million doses of CoronaVac by January 2022, with about 30 million doses due by the end of the first quarter this year. It has also secured nearly 330 million doses of other vaccines, including from AstraZeneca and Pfizer and its partner BioNTech.

Indonesia launches one of world's biggest COVID-19 vaccination drives

Pakistan's restive Balochistan province saw 2,886 terrorist attacks and 3,184 related deaths in the last decade, according to a media report.

From 2010 to 2015, 2,049 people died in 1,701 militant attacks in the southwestern province, SAMAA TV reported. From 2016 to 2020, 1,135 people were killed in 1,185 terror attacks.

Among the 3,184 terror-related deaths in the last decade, 2,058 were civilians and 1,126 were security personnel, the news channel reported.

The numbers come in the backdrop of last week's brutal killing of 11 Shia Hazara coal miners by Islamic State terrorists in the province's mountainous Machh area.

The Shia Hazara community, who live in the border areas of Balochistan and Afghanistan, are the main targets of sectarian violence in the province as they are easily identifiable due to their distinctive physical appearance. Sunni militants consider them as heretics.

The targeted killing of the coal miners drew worldwide condemnation, including reproach from the offices of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and United Nations General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir.

The families of the deceased coal miners had initially refused to bury the bodies till the militants were arrested. They ended their protest on Saturday last after Prime Minister Imran Khan promised to visit them.

Khan visited them on Saturday, saying the entire nation stands with them. The prime minister said his mission was to unite the people of the country, and the Muslim world at large.

Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langau on Monday said a large-scale operation would be launched against militants in the province.

''The operation will be extended till every terrorist is eliminated. Terrorists want to divide us on the basis of sectarianism and language. The people have thwarted every attempt of the terrorists in the past and will keep doing so in the future as well," Langau said, after chairing a high-level meeting in the aftermath of the killing of the coal miners, The Express Tribune reported.

The minister said the terrorists and their facilitators would be identified and eliminated.

However, critics of the Pakistan government said security forces may be given additional power during the anti-terror operation, leading to the harassment of innocent locals and the poor.

Pakistan's restive Balochistan province saw 2,886 terrorist attacks and 3,184 related deaths in the last decade, according to a media report. From 2010 to 2015, 2,049 people died in 1,701 militant attacks in the southwestern province, SAMAA TV reported.

Pakistan's restive Balochistan province saw 2,886 terrorist attacks and 3,184 related deaths in the last decade, according to a media report. From 2010 to 2015, 2,049 people died in 1,701 militant attacks in the southwestern province, SAMAA TV reported. From 2016 to 2020, 1,135 people were killed in 1,185 terror attacks. Among the 3,184 terror-related deaths in the last decade, 2,058 were civilians and 1,126 were security personnel, the news channel reported. The numbers come in the backdrop of last week's brutal killing of 11 Shia Hazara coal miners by Islamic State terrorists in the province's mountainous Machh area. The Shia Hazara community, who live in the border areas of Balochistan and Afghanistan, are the main targets of sectarian violence in the province as they are easily identifiable due to their distinctive physical appearance. Sunni militants consider them as heretics. The targeted killing of the coal miners drew worldwide condemnation, including reproach from the offices of United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and United Nations General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir. The families of the deceased coal miners had initially refused to bury the bodies till the militants were arrested. They ended their protest on Saturday last after Prime Minister Imran Khan promised to visit them. Khan visited them on Saturday, saying the entire nation stands with them. The prime minister said his mission was to unite the people of the country, and the Muslim world at large. Balochistan Home Minister Mir Ziaullah Langau on Monday said a large-scale operation would be launched against militants in the province. ''The operation will be extended till every terrorist is eliminated. Terrorists want to divide us on the basis of sectarianism and language. The people have thwarted every attempt of the terrorists in the past and will keep doing so in the future as well," Langau said, after chairing a high-level meeting in the aftermath of the killing of the coal miners, The Express Tribune reported. The minister said the terrorists and their facilitators would be identified and eliminated. However, critics of the Pakistan government said security forces may be given additional power during the anti-terror operation, leading to the harassment of innocent locals and the poor.

Pakistan's Balochistan saw 2,886 terror attacks and 3,184 related deaths in last decade: Report

Google on Wednesday backed the efforts of US President-elect Joe Biden&nbsp;to pass a new&nbsp;immigration law and would help cover application fees for immigrants seeking lawful work under a threatened government program.

In a bid to show its support for the administration, Google said on Wednesday it would pay for the application fees of about 500 young immigrants seeking employment under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

It comes as Google and other big US&nbsp;employers transition from four years of criticicing outgoing President Donald Trump for restricting immigration policy and undermining the companies' ability to hire foreign-born workers.

Biden said last week that he would propose unspecified immigration legislation to Congress "immediately" upon taking office on January&nbsp;20. Biden's Democratic Party will control Congress, boosting the chance his ideas become law.

"We will support efforts by the new Congress and incoming Administration to pass comprehensive immigration reform that improves employment-based visa programs that enhance American competitiveness, gives greater assurance to immigrant workers and employers, and promotes better and more humane immigration processing and border security practices," said Google senior vice president Kent Walker in a blog post.

Walker added Google's philanthropic arm would donate $250,000 to the organization United We Dream, which helps immigrants unlawfully living in the United States after arriving as children secure work permits and avoid deportation using the deferred action program, or DACA.

A court ruling expected soon threatens to pause renewals and applications for those permits, Walker said. Recipients are often called "Dreamers."

Google has in the past teamed with fellow large technology companies when making statements on immigration policy. But only one other tech company spoke out on the issue this week.

Uber Technologies Inc told Reuters it continued to support "Dreamers" and welcomed "the new Administration's effort to reform our nation's immigration system."

Google on Wednesday backed the efforts of US President-elect Joe Biden to pass a new immigration law and would help cover application fees for immigrants seeking lawful work under a threatened government program.

Google on Wednesday backed the efforts of US President-elect Joe Biden to pass a new immigration law and would help cover application fees for immigrants seeking lawful work under a threatened government program. In a bid to show its support for the administration, Google said on Wednesday it would pay for the application fees of about 500 young immigrants seeking employment under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. It comes as Google and other big US employers transition from four years of criticicing outgoing President Donald Trump for restricting immigration policy and undermining the companies' ability to hire foreign-born workers. Biden said last week that he would propose unspecified immigration legislation to Congress "immediately" upon taking office on January 20. Biden's Democratic Party will control Congress, boosting the chance his ideas become law. "We will support efforts by the new Congress and incoming Administration to pass comprehensive immigration reform that improves employment-based visa programs that enhance American competitiveness, gives greater assurance to immigrant workers and employers, and promotes better and more humane immigration processing and border security practices," said Google senior vice president Kent Walker in a blog post. Walker added Google's philanthropic arm would donate $250,000 to the organization United We Dream, which helps immigrants unlawfully living in the United States after arriving as children secure work permits and avoid deportation using the deferred action program, or DACA. A court ruling expected soon threatens to pause renewals and applications for those permits, Walker said. Recipients are often called "Dreamers." Google has in the past teamed with fellow large technology companies when making statements on immigration policy. But only one other tech company spoke out on the issue this week. Uber Technologies Inc told Reuters it continued to support "Dreamers" and welcomed "the new Administration's effort to reform our nation's immigration system."

Google backs Joe Biden's efforts to pass new immigration law

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