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Axiom-4 astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon capsule, nestled atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, blasted off at 12:01 pm Indian time, 25th June, Wednesday. Barely 13 minutes after liftoff, the SpaceX rocket placed them in orbit around the Earth, and the crew began feeling microgravity-induced weightlessness. However, their journey to the International Space Station would take as much as 28 hours. Here are the technical and scientific reasons behind why the four astronauts would reach the International Space Station only by 4:30 pm Indian time, 26th June, Thursday.&nbsp;<h2>Energy and fuel-efficient spaceflight</h2>&nbsp;There are space missions where the crew reach the space station within seven hours of launch, this is known as "fast rendezvous". However, that requires highly precise planning, perfect alignment between the launching spaceport and the space station. Approaching the space station in such a short duration also requires a higher number of manoeuvres and engine firings. This would mean that more fuel is consumed in the process. To cater for this, the spacecraft must carry adequate fuel, and the rocket must be capable of lifting the heavier craft.&nbsp;Instead, the Crew Dragon capsule is taking the 28-hour option. This allows adequate time to perform various system checks before gradually pushing the craft into orbit where the Space Station is. During this 28-hour journey, the Crew Dragon craft works fully autonomously, with the four astronauts only monitoring all the crucial parameters. In extremely rare cases, the Mission Commander(leader) would have to use the touch screen controls and take control of the touchscreen interfaces to manually manoeuvre the craft. However, such occasions are very rare with the Crew Dragon.&nbsp;<h2>Crew Dragon and Space Station - Both orbits need to intersect</h2>&nbsp;Initially, the Crew Dragon Spacecraft is launched into an orbit (circular path) that is 200 km above the Earth. The Space Station is about 400 km above the Earth. The way space works, it is not possible for Crew Dragon to travel 200 km straight upwards and meet up with the space station immediately. Therefore, the Crew Dragon gradually adjusts its orbits via a series of engine burns. Each of these engines burns pushes the craft into a higher circular path (orbit), and eventually brings it into a path that matches that of the International Space Station. It must be remembered that objects in low Earth orbit travel at 28,000kmph, and extreme care must be taken during manoeuvres.&nbsp;<h2>The final runup to Docking</h2>&nbsp;The final approach is done in stages, once the Crew Dragon spacecraft gets barely 400 meters from the Space Station. Then, the Crew Dragon gradually moves itself towards the Space Station, while maintaining constant communication. The 400 metres is brought down to 200 meters, and eventually 30 meters and then the docking takes place. At each of these distances, the spacecraft may hold to carry out system checks, communicate with the space station and ground controllers, and monitor other technical parameters. When within 30meters of the space station, the Crew Dragon uses its cameras, Light Detection and Ranging(LIDAR) sensors.&nbsp;<h2>Docking</h2>&nbsp;While a few centimetres away from the Space station, the docking ring of the spacecraft makes contact with the space station's docking port. Then, once aligned, the latching mechanisms align and create a pressure-tight seal. The electrical and data connections are made, and the Crew Dragon becomes a part of the ISS. After various checks are carried out, the hatches on both sides are opened, and the Crew Dragon astronauts enter the space station. &nbsp;

Barely 13 minutes after liftoff, SpaceX rocket placed them in orbit around the Earth, but their journey to the ISS would take as much as 28 hours.

Axiom-4 astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon capsule, nestled atop the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, blasted off at 12:01 pm Indian time, 25th June, Wednesday. Barely 13 minutes after liftoff, the SpaceX rocket placed them in orbit around the Earth, and the crew began feeling microgravity-induced weightlessness. However, their journey to the International Space Station would take as much as 28 hours. Here are the technical and scientific reasons behind why the four astronauts would reach the International Space Station only by 4:30 pm Indian time, 26th June, Thursday. Energy and fuel-efficient spaceflight There are space missions where the crew reach the space station within seven hours of launch, this is known as "fast rendezvous". However, that requires highly precise planning, perfect alignment between the launching spaceport and the space station. Approaching the space station in such a short duration also requires a higher number of manoeuvres and engine firings. This would mean that more fuel is consumed in the process. To cater for this, the spacecraft must carry adequate fuel, and the rocket must be capable of lifting the heavier craft. Instead, the Crew Dragon capsule is taking the 28-hour option. This allows adequate time to perform various system checks before gradually pushing the craft into orbit where the Space Station is. During this 28-hour journey, the Crew Dragon craft works fully autonomously, with the four astronauts only monitoring all the crucial parameters. In extremely rare cases, the Mission Commander(leader) would have to use the touch screen controls and take control of the touchscreen interfaces to manually manoeuvre the craft. However, such occasions are very rare with the Crew Dragon. Crew Dragon and Space Station - Both orbits need to intersect Initially, the Crew Dragon Spacecraft is launched into an orbit (circular path) that is 200 km above the Earth. The Space Station is about 400 km above the Earth. The way space works, it is not possible for Crew Dragon to travel 200 km straight upwards and meet up with the space station immediately. Therefore, the Crew Dragon gradually adjusts its orbits via a series of engine burns. Each of these engines burns pushes the craft into a higher circular path (orbit), and eventually brings it into a path that matches that of the International Space Station. It must be remembered that objects in low Earth orbit travel at 28,000kmph, and extreme care must be taken during manoeuvres. The final runup to Docking The final approach is done in stages, once the Crew Dragon spacecraft gets barely 400 meters from the Space Station. Then, the Crew Dragon gradually moves itself towards the Space Station, while maintaining constant communication. The 400 metres is brought down to 200 meters, and eventually 30 meters and then the docking takes place. At each of these distances, the spacecraft may hold to carry out system checks, communicate with the space station and ground controllers, and monitor other technical parameters. When within 30meters of the space station, the Crew Dragon uses its cameras, Light Detection and Ranging(LIDAR) sensors. Docking While a few centimetres away from the Space station, the docking ring of the spacecraft makes contact with the space station's docking port. Then, once aligned, the latching mechanisms align and create a pressure-tight seal. The electrical and data connections are made, and the Crew Dragon becomes a part of the ISS. After various checks are carried out, the hatches on both sides are opened, and the Crew Dragon astronauts enter the space station.

Barely 13 minutes after liftoff, the SpaceX rocket placed them in orbit around the Earth, but their journey to the International Space Station would take as much as 28 hours.

EXPLAINED | Why does it take 28 hours for Axiom-4 astronauts to reach space station?

In 2017, at the height of US-Iran tensions that led to talk of an American invasion of Iran and a possible regime change, Indian journalist Nadim Siraj travelled to the Islamic Republic. He went in as a tourist, but the intention was to see Iran up, close and personal. The result was a book titled Secret Notes from Iran: Diary of an Undercover Journalist. Nadim's trip happened during President Donald Trump's first term in office, in which he pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal. At the end of the current Iran-Israel war, Trump hinted that the US is not looking for an Iranian regime change. For many Iranians inside and abroad, the Iran-Israel war had brought the country tantalisingly close to a regime change. But that dream is dashed, for now. I asked Nadim why Trump took this stance, rather unusual for the US, which is known for artificial regime changes. He shared what could be the rationale for Trump, and what could have happened if a regime change had indeed happened. &nbsp;<h2>Why would the Americans want to change regime in Iran?</h2>Part of the answer lies in a major, yet under-reported, grouse of the US : Iran’s defiance of the petrodollar, the system by which petroleum and gas resources are sold in exchange for US dollars. "Iran not only sells its crude oil in non-dollar currencies, it successfully runs an oil exchange – the Iranian Oil Bourse on Kish Island – where the US dollar is not even listed as a currency," Nadim said. “Since the Iranian regime is at the forefront of a growing de-dollarisation drive, the US wants it to go – for vested economic interests, not to gift Iranians a more sane and liberal government with no nuclear ambitions.”&nbsp; Trump has essentially gone against this long-standing US interest, at least for now. &nbsp;“Trump holding back prospects of a regime change turns out to be a sensible move,” Nadim shared.&nbsp;<h2>Lack of regime change is a loss of opportunity for Iranian women</h2>During his Iran trip, Nadim found that a considerable section of the Iranian public deeply disliked the cleric-run regime, mainly because of its anti-women policies. “They are not just young women who miss basic freedoms, but even their young male peers. I saw the same wave across Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, and along the Strait of Hormuz. For them, the freeze in a regime-change attempt is a golden opportunity lost,” he said.&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-trump-rejects-leaked-intel-reports-on-iran-s-nuclear-sites-1750844413937/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-trump-rejects-leaked-intel-reports-on-iran-s-nuclear-sites-1750844413937/embed</a> Even though they don’t like the idea of a war, Nadim said, “they feel so stifled by the lack of basic rights that they don’t mind an external power doing the job of getting rid of the clerics and bringing a liberal group to power.” “It is a shame that since coming to power in 1979, the Ayatollah’s ‘kingdom’ has continuously antagonised this section of the Iranian public,” Nadim said. “They will happily welcome the Shah’s family at the helm or a democracy-style political system.”&nbsp;<h2>What would have happened if the Iranian regime was changed?</h2>Recent history may be a guide for answering this: Not a single US-supported regime change resulted in a positive outcome for the affected country’s society, economy, and politics. "Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria are eye-opening examples, where US-backed interventions didn’t make the lives of the public any better," Nadim noted.&nbsp; &nbsp;So, did Trump do the smart thing by declaring US is not interested in Iran regime change? In Nadim's view, Trump’s decision to stop short of a regime change is a welcome relief for both Iran and the wider world, as it would have been unfortunate if a foreign power toppled its government without factoring in the heavy cost on the ground.<h2>A regime change would have split Iran and led to power vacuum and chaos</h2>Iran would have been thrown into the middle of a gigantic political and economic storm had there been a regime change, said Nadim.&nbsp; "For decades, the Ayatollah’s oppressive regime has systematically ensured there’s no major naturally evolved, genuinely domestic political alternative in the country. &nbsp;So, if the clerics are ousted, a liberal yet completely US-backed puppet group would be installed in Tehran – accountable only to the West, not to the public.&nbsp; “And because of its lack of accountability to the Iranian public, the externally installed government won’t be able to fix the economic chaos and political instability that will follow the regime change.”&nbsp; A regime change would have caused severe economic turbulence in Iran, whose economy is reeling under pressure from over 3,000 sanctions slapped by the US and its allies. &nbsp;Hardened by decades of these sanctions, Iran built for itself a robust economy that doesn’t rely on foreign wealth or institutions such as the World Bank and IMF. That self-reliant, independent economy &nbsp;would have been severely damaged by a regime change.&nbsp; Yet, when it comes to gender rights, a regime change would have come as an immense relief for Iranian women who are stifled by outdated patriarchal rules and regulations since they were rolled out in 1981, Nadim noted.

Trump took a stance that is rather unusual for the US known for artificial regime changes. What could be the rationale and what could have happened if a regime change indeed took place?


In 2017, at the height of US-Iran tensions that led to talk of an American invasion of Iran and a possible regime change, Indian journalist Nadim Siraj travelled to the Islamic Republic. He went in as a tourist, but the intention was to see Iran up, close and personal. The result was a book titled Secret Notes from Iran: Diary of an Undercover Journalist. Nadim's trip happened during President Donald Trump's first term in office, in which he pulled the US out of the Iran nuclear deal. At the end of the current Iran-Israel war, Trump hinted that the US is not looking for an Iranian regime change. For many Iranians inside and abroad, the Iran-Israel war had brought the country tantalisingly close to a regime change. But that dream is dashed, for now. I asked Nadim why Trump took this stance, rather unusual for the US, which is known for artificial regime changes. He shared what could be the rationale for Trump, and what could have happened if a regime change had indeed happened. Why would the Americans want to change regime in Iran? Part of the answer lies in a major, yet under-reported, grouse of the US : Iran’s defiance of the petrodollar, the system by which petroleum and gas resources are sold in exchange for US dollars. "Iran not only sells its crude oil in non-dollar currencies, it successfully runs an oil exchange – the Iranian Oil Bourse on Kish Island – where the US dollar is not even listed as a currency," Nadim said. “Since the Iranian regime is at the forefront of a growing de-dollarisation drive, the US wants it to go – for vested economic interests, not to gift Iranians a more sane and liberal government with no nuclear ambitions.” Trump has essentially gone against this long-standing US interest, at least for now. “Trump holding back prospects of a regime change turns out to be a sensible move,” Nadim shared. Lack of regime change is a loss of opportunity for Iranian women During his Iran trip, Nadim found that a considerable section of the Iranian public deeply disliked the cleric-run regime, mainly because of its anti-women policies. “They are not just young women who miss basic freedoms, but even their young male peers. I saw the same wave across Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, and along the Strait of Hormuz. For them, the freeze in a regime-change attempt is a golden opportunity lost,” he said. https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-trump-rejects-leaked-intel-reports-on-iran-s-nuclear-sites-1750844413937/embed Even though they don’t like the idea of a war, Nadim said, “they feel so stifled by the lack of basic rights that they don’t mind an external power doing the job of getting rid of the clerics and bringing a liberal group to power.” “It is a shame that since coming to power in 1979, the Ayatollah’s ‘kingdom’ has continuously antagonised this section of the Iranian public,” Nadim said. “They will happily welcome the Shah’s family at the helm or a democracy-style political system.” What would have happened if the Iranian regime was changed? Recent history may be a guide for answering this: Not a single US-supported regime change resulted in a positive outcome for the affected country’s society, economy, and politics. "Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and Syria are eye-opening examples, where US-backed interventions didn’t make the lives of the public any better," Nadim noted. So, did Trump do the smart thing by declaring US is not interested in Iran regime change? In Nadim's view, Trump’s decision to stop short of a regime change is a welcome relief for both Iran and the wider world, as it would have been unfortunate if a foreign power toppled its government without factoring in the heavy cost on the ground. A regime change would have split Iran and led to power vacuum and chaos Iran would have been thrown into the middle of a gigantic political and economic storm had there been a regime change, said Nadim. "For decades, the Ayatollah’s oppressive regime has systematically ensured there’s no major naturally evolved, genuinely domestic political alternative in the country. So, if the clerics are ousted, a liberal yet completely US-backed puppet group would be installed in Tehran – accountable only to the West, not to the public. “And because of its lack of accountability to the Iranian public, the externally installed government won’t be able to fix the economic chaos and political instability that will follow the regime change.” A regime change would have caused severe economic turbulence in Iran, whose economy is reeling under pressure from over 3,000 sanctions slapped by the US and its allies. Hardened by decades of these sanctions, Iran built for itself a robust economy that doesn’t rely on foreign wealth or institutions such as the World Bank and IMF. That self-reliant, independent economy would have been severely damaged by a regime change. Yet, when it comes to gender rights, a regime change would have come as an immense relief for Iranian women who are stifled by outdated patriarchal rules and regulations since they were rolled out in 1981, Nadim noted.

Trump took a stance that is rather unusual for the US known for artificial regime changes. What could be the rationale and what could have happened if a regime change indeed took place? &nbsp;

No regime change in Iran: Trump did the smart thing, but for many Iranians, specially women, it's a loss of historic opportunity

United States President Donald Trump decided to join the Iran-Israel war this week and gave the go-ahead to use bunker-busting bombs to strike three key Iranian nuclear sites and their underground bunkers: the Fordow fuel-enrichment plant, the Natanz nuclear facility, and the Isfahan nuclear technology centre. The Pentagon codenamed it Operation Midnight Hammer. This was the first time the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), the 30,000-pound bomb, was ever used. The B-2 stealth bomber was engaged in the operation, as it is the only aircraft that can carry the monster bomb. Trump tooted his horn, saying that they had successfully taken out Iran’s underground nuclear facilities. But have they? A report by CNN suggests that Iran's nuclear program doesn't seem to have been destroyed and has only been pushed back by a few months. This has been claimed by early US intelligence.&nbsp;<h2>Iran's ultra-tough concrete saved the day?</h2>&nbsp;Meanwhile, Iran has affirmed that the attacks did not affect it in any way. Scientists think that this could be true, if history is anything to go by. In fact, Iran's underground nuclear facilities could be partially or wholly intact. Iran might have been trying to build the nuclear bomb for years, but there is one race that it has seemingly already won - a highly resilient concrete. Experts say they have heard about Iran and its ultra-tough concrete. It is believed to be a world leader in the new technology of Ultra High Performance Concrete, or UHPC, Popular Mechanics reported. Rumours of a bunker-buster bomb failing terribly in the late 2000s hint at Iran's strength in the field of concrete.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/did-iran-move-enriched-uranium-stockpile-to-secret-nuclear-sites-before-us-strike-leaked-intel-report-suggests-so-1750829772928">Did Iran move enriched uranium stockpile to 'secret nuclear sites' before US strike? Leaked intel report suggests so</a>&nbsp;<h2>A bunker-buster bomb failed got stuck on the surface&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;Reportedly, a bunker-buster bomb hit a bunker in Iran at the time. But, instead of smashing through it, the bomb got embedded in the surface and failed to explode or cause any destruction. A bomb-disposal team was called in to remove the bomb. This is when experts sat up and took notice of the advancements in concrete technology in Iran.&nbsp;<h2>UHPC concrete is stronger and too strong for today's bombs</h2>&nbsp;UHPC is a type of concrete that is way more advanced than regular concrete. Earlier, concrete rated as "high strength" had a yield of 5,000 pounds per square inch (psi). There were some that went up to 10,000 psi. But UHPC can withstand 40,000 psi or more. This is because in this technology, concrete is turned into a composite material by adding steel or other fibres. They hold the concrete together and prevent it from cracking. Stephanie Barnett, Ph.D, of the University of Portsmouth in the UK, who works to develop stronger concrete to protect civilian buildings from terrorist attacks, told Popular Mechanics, "Instead of getting a few large cracks in a concrete panel, you get lots of smaller cracks. The fibres give it more fracture energy."&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-insists-iran-nuclear-sites-completely-destroyed-denies-leaked-us-intel-report-1750824123756">Trump insists Iran nuclear sites 'completely destroyed'; denies leaked US intel report</a>&nbsp;An open-source Chinese study compared normal high-strength concrete with fibre-reinforced UHPC. It noted that projectiles smashed through the reinforced concrete targets, but the UHPC targets only had minor cracking. The bombs “either embedded in or rebounded from” the targets. The United States Air Force had also launched a project to study bunkers made of UHPC. It was reportedly feared that even the 5,000-pound bombs would not get through UHPC. Then it got the 21,000-pound Massive Ordnance Air Blast, "mother of all bombs". This is the biggest bomb one can fly, with only the B-2 Spirit strategic bomber capable of doing so.&nbsp;https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-intelligence-says-main-components-of-nuke-programmme-not-destroyed-1750819190440/embed&nbsp;Experts say that even the biggest and toughest bomb could not get through UHPC. Gregory Vartanov of Toronto-based Advanced Materials Development Corp claims that current bombs cannot break down the high-grade UHPC. "Penetrators with monolithic cases made from materials such as … Eglin Steel … cannot penetrate bunkers made from UHPC,” he wrote in Aerospace &amp; Defense Technology magazine in February 2021. &nbsp;

Irans nuke program hit? Scientists say Iran has some ultra-tough concrete made using advanced technology, which could have saved its underground nuclear sites.

United States President Donald Trump decided to join the Iran-Israel war this week and gave the go-ahead to use bunker-busting bombs to strike three key Iranian nuclear sites and their underground bunkers: the Fordow fuel-enrichment plant, the Natanz nuclear facility, and the Isfahan nuclear technology centre. The Pentagon codenamed it Operation Midnight Hammer. This was the first time the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), the 30,000-pound bomb, was ever used. The B-2 stealth bomber was engaged in the operation, as it is the only aircraft that can carry the monster bomb. Trump tooted his horn, saying that they had successfully taken out Iran’s underground nuclear facilities. But have they? A report by CNN suggests that Iran's nuclear program doesn't seem to have been destroyed and has only been pushed back by a few months. This has been claimed by early US intelligence. Iran's ultra-tough concrete saved the day? Meanwhile, Iran has affirmed that the attacks did not affect it in any way. Scientists think that this could be true, if history is anything to go by. In fact, Iran's underground nuclear facilities could be partially or wholly intact. Iran might have been trying to build the nuclear bomb for years, but there is one race that it has seemingly already won - a highly resilient concrete. Experts say they have heard about Iran and its ultra-tough concrete. It is believed to be a world leader in the new technology of Ultra High Performance Concrete, or UHPC, Popular Mechanics reported. Rumours of a bunker-buster bomb failing terribly in the late 2000s hint at Iran's strength in the field of concrete. Also Read: Did Iran move enriched uranium stockpile to 'secret nuclear sites' before US strike? Leaked intel report suggests so A bunker-buster bomb failed got stuck on the surface Reportedly, a bunker-buster bomb hit a bunker in Iran at the time. But, instead of smashing through it, the bomb got embedded in the surface and failed to explode or cause any destruction. A bomb-disposal team was called in to remove the bomb. This is when experts sat up and took notice of the advancements in concrete technology in Iran. UHPC concrete is stronger and too strong for today's bombs UHPC is a type of concrete that is way more advanced than regular concrete. Earlier, concrete rated as "high strength" had a yield of 5,000 pounds per square inch (psi). There were some that went up to 10,000 psi. But UHPC can withstand 40,000 psi or more. This is because in this technology, concrete is turned into a composite material by adding steel or other fibres. They hold the concrete together and prevent it from cracking. Stephanie Barnett, Ph.D, of the University of Portsmouth in the UK, who works to develop stronger concrete to protect civilian buildings from terrorist attacks, told Popular Mechanics, "Instead of getting a few large cracks in a concrete panel, you get lots of smaller cracks. The fibres give it more fracture energy." Also Read: Trump insists Iran nuclear sites 'completely destroyed'; denies leaked US intel report An open-source Chinese study compared normal high-strength concrete with fibre-reinforced UHPC. It noted that projectiles smashed through the reinforced concrete targets, but the UHPC targets only had minor cracking. The bombs “either embedded in or rebounded from” the targets. The United States Air Force had also launched a project to study bunkers made of UHPC. It was reportedly feared that even the 5,000-pound bombs would not get through UHPC. Then it got the 21,000-pound Massive Ordnance Air Blast, "mother of all bombs". This is the biggest bomb one can fly, with only the B-2 Spirit strategic bomber capable of doing so. https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-intelligence-says-main-components-of-nuke-programmme-not-destroyed-1750819190440/embed Experts say that even the biggest and toughest bomb could not get through UHPC. Gregory Vartanov of Toronto-based Advanced Materials Development Corp claims that current bombs cannot break down the high-grade UHPC. "Penetrators with monolithic cases made from materials such as … Eglin Steel … cannot penetrate bunkers made from UHPC,” he wrote in Aerospace & Defense Technology magazine in February 2021.

Iran's nuke program hit? Scientists say Iran has some ultra-tough concrete made using advanced technology, which could have saved its underground nuclear sites.

Is Iran's concrete unbreakable? Scientists believe even 'mother of all bombs' cannot shatter it

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky finally decided to take the formal route at the start of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit in The Hague on 24 June. He was seen dressed in a blazer as he attended a heads of state and government dinner at the 'Huis ten Bosch' Royal Palace. Before the social dinner, he was greeted by the royals. Zelensky shook hands with Crown Princess Amalia and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Zelensky's attire has often raised eyebrows as he always turns up in a sweatshirt irrespective of who he is meeting or where.However, he changed things a bit for the social dinner at the Royal Palace in the Hague. He brought a slight twist to his clothes, but still picked the colour black. On Tuesday, Zelensky was seen sporting a black shirt and a black blazer. Zelensky appeared to be wearing the regular black pants, so it wasn't a complete suit.The Ukrainian president has always been seen in a black sweatshirt, even when he is meeting other heads of state. He chose the same outfit for his address to the UN General Assembly in 2023, and also when he addressed the US Capitol when Joe Biden was the president.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/spoke-too-soon-preliminary-us-intel-report-ridicules-trump-s-obliterated-iran-s-nuclear-programme-claims-1750820946439">Spoke too soon? Preliminary US intel report ridicules Trump's 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear programme claims</a>&nbsp;Zelensky has often said that his clothes are a show of solidarity with soldiers fighting the Russian army in the war that has been going on since 2022.&nbsp;<h2>Trump mocked Zelensky's clothes while meeting him at the White House&nbsp;</h2>&nbsp;It caused quite a stir when he met President Donald Trump at the White House in March this year. Sporting his signature look, military-style black sweatshirt, adorned with the Ukrainian trident, as Zelensky stepped out of the car, Trump greeted him, turned towards the reporters, and said, "He is all dressed up today." The words were perceived to be a way of mocking Zelensky.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-trump-zelenskys-talks-for-peace-turned-into-war-of-words-and-how-world-reacted-js-vance-donald-trump-zelensky-8767122">What exactly happened? Trump-Zelensky talks for peace turn into war of words - a blow-by-blow account</a>&nbsp;Later, inside the Oval Office, a reporter questioned Zelensky on his clothes, asking him why he doesn't wear a suit. Trump interjected and said, "I like how he dresses." The reporter accused the Ukrainian president of disrespecting the occasion by not wearing a suit. Brian Glenn, chief White House correspondent for conservative cable network Real America's Voice, said, "Why don't you wear a suit? You're at the highest level in this country's office, and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit?"To this, Zelensky replied, "Do you have a problem?" The reporter said, "A lot of Americans have a problem with who don't respect the dress code of the Oval Office." Zelensky shot back, "I will wear a (suit) costume after this war finishes, yes."He didn't let go of the reporter that easily and decided to turn the tables around. Zelensky told him, "Maybe something like yours, yes, maybe something better. I don't know, we will see. Maybe something cheaper. Thank you."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was seen wearing a blazer when he met Dutch royals at a social dinner at the 'Huis ten Bosch' Royal Palace ahead of the NATO summit.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky finally decided to take the formal route at the start of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit in The Hague on 24 June. He was seen dressed in a blazer as he attended a heads of state and government dinner at the 'Huis ten Bosch' Royal Palace. Before the social dinner, he was greeted by the royals. Zelensky shook hands with Crown Princess Amalia and King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands. Zelensky's attire has often raised eyebrows as he always turns up in a sweatshirt irrespective of who he is meeting or where. However, he changed things a bit for the social dinner at the Royal Palace in the Hague. He brought a slight twist to his clothes, but still picked the colour black. On Tuesday, Zelensky was seen sporting a black shirt and a black blazer. Zelensky appeared to be wearing the regular black pants, so it wasn't a complete suit. The Ukrainian president has always been seen in a black sweatshirt, even when he is meeting other heads of state. He chose the same outfit for his address to the UN General Assembly in 2023, and also when he addressed the US Capitol when Joe Biden was the president. Also Read: Spoke too soon? Preliminary US intel report ridicules Trump's 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear programme claims Zelensky has often said that his clothes are a show of solidarity with soldiers fighting the Russian army in the war that has been going on since 2022. Trump mocked Zelensky's clothes while meeting him at the White House It caused quite a stir when he met President Donald Trump at the White House in March this year. Sporting his signature look, military-style black sweatshirt, adorned with the Ukrainian trident, as Zelensky stepped out of the car, Trump greeted him, turned towards the reporters, and said, "He is all dressed up today." The words were perceived to be a way of mocking Zelensky. Also Read: What exactly happened? Trump-Zelensky talks for peace turn into war of words - a blow-by-blow account Later, inside the Oval Office, a reporter questioned Zelensky on his clothes, asking him why he doesn't wear a suit. Trump interjected and said, "I like how he dresses." The reporter accused the Ukrainian president of disrespecting the occasion by not wearing a suit. Brian Glenn, chief White House correspondent for conservative cable network Real America's Voice, said, "Why don't you wear a suit? You're at the highest level in this country's office, and you refuse to wear a suit. Do you own a suit?" To this, Zelensky replied, "Do you have a problem?" The reporter said, "A lot of Americans have a problem with who don't respect the dress code of the Oval Office." Zelensky shot back, "I will wear a (suit) costume after this war finishes, yes." He didn't let go of the reporter that easily and decided to turn the tables around. Zelensky told him, "Maybe something like yours, yes, maybe something better. I don't know, we will see. Maybe something cheaper. Thank you."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was seen wearing a blazer when he met Dutch royals at a social dinner at the 'Huis ten Bosch' Royal Palace ahead of the NATO summit.

Is that a suit? Zelensky finally seen in formal attire at dinner with the Dutch royals

A 9-year-old Delhi boy Aarit Kapil gave world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen a close run before accepting a draw in the 'Early Titled Tuesday' chess tournament played on a top online site. Aarit, runner-up at the recently held Under-9 National Championship, exchanged moves stroke for stroke with the five-time world champion and had Carlsen in a fully lost game. But as time was drawing to a close and only seconds remained on his clock, the Indian youngster could not make his lead count and, ultimately, pushed the game to a draw in a rook and two minor pieces endgame.&nbsp;Aarit played this tournament from his hotel in Georgia where he is battling for a podium finish at the under-10 World championship. Aarit has won the first two rounds and will play the third game on Wednesday.&nbsp;Meanwhile, India's V Pranav won the 'Early Titled Tuesday' title with a brilliant 10 out of 11 points. American Grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann and Carlsen both ended with 9.5 points, but Niemann took second place on tiebreak.<h2>Sensational Aarit Kapil</h2>Last year, Aarit scripted history as he beat Grandmaster Raset Ziatdinov of the United States. The win took place during the ninth round of the KIIT International Open chess championship in Bhubaneswar. Aarit's achievement places him as the youngest Indian to have beaten a Grandmaster in a classical game of chess. At 9 years, 2 months, and 18 days, he is the third youngest globally to achieve this distinction.&nbsp;The youngest person to defeat a Grandmaster is Indian-origin Singaporean Ashwath Kaushik. Kaushik beat Poland's Jacek Stupa at the age of 8 years and six months earlier in 2024. Ziatdinov, 66 years of age, showed his experience playing the game against Aarit. He used positional tactics and better pawn structure to gain the upper hand.

David meets Goliath: 9-year-old Indian Aarit Kapil draws with Magnus Carlsen in online battle

A 9-year-old Delhi boy Aarit Kapil gave world No. 1 Magnus Carlsen a close run before accepting a draw in the 'Early Titled Tuesday' chess tournament played on a top online site. Aarit, runner-up at the recently held Under-9 National Championship, exchanged moves stroke for stroke with the five-time world champion and had Carlsen in a fully lost game. But as time was drawing to a close and only seconds remained on his clock, the Indian youngster could not make his lead count and, ultimately, pushed the game to a draw in a rook and two minor pieces endgame. Aarit played this tournament from his hotel in Georgia where he is battling for a podium finish at the under-10 World championship. Aarit has won the first two rounds and will play the third game on Wednesday. Meanwhile, India's V Pranav won the 'Early Titled Tuesday' title with a brilliant 10 out of 11 points. American Grandmaster Hans Moke Niemann and Carlsen both ended with 9.5 points, but Niemann took second place on tiebreak. Sensational Aarit Kapil Last year, Aarit scripted history as he beat Grandmaster Raset Ziatdinov of the United States. The win took place during the ninth round of the KIIT International Open chess championship in Bhubaneswar. Aarit's achievement places him as the youngest Indian to have beaten a Grandmaster in a classical game of chess. At 9 years, 2 months, and 18 days, he is the third youngest globally to achieve this distinction. The youngest person to defeat a Grandmaster is Indian-origin Singaporean Ashwath Kaushik. Kaushik beat Poland's Jacek Stupa at the age of 8 years and six months earlier in 2024. Ziatdinov, 66 years of age, showed his experience playing the game against Aarit. He used positional tactics and better pawn structure to gain the upper hand.

Aarit, the runner-up at the recent Under-9 National Championship, matched the five-time world champion move for move and had Carlsen in a completely lost position

The world’s first jet-powered flying humanoid robot has successfully taken its first flight. This was made possible by researchers in Italy who published their observations and achievements in Nature Communications Engineering. The robot, iRonCub3, lifted off the ground by about 50 cm and remained stable for the entire duration. The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) achieved a major breakthrough in humanoid robotics. iRonCub3 has been built for real-world environments. The entire project took the scientists two years, including the latest testing.The Italian scientists noted that in the latest experiments, the robot lifted approximately 50 cm off the ground while maintaining stability. This paves the way for the future development of flying robots that can work like humans but take flight for various tasks. The team analysed the robot’s complex aerodynamics and created an advanced control system for managing its interconnected parts.To create the flying humanoid robots, IIT roboticists in Genoa, Italy, collaborated with Alex Zanotti’s team at the DAER Aerodynamics Laboratory at the Polytechnic of Milan, where they carried out extensive wind tunnel tests. They also got together with Gianluca Iaccarino’s group at Stanford University, where "deep learning algorithms were developed to model aerodynamics," SciTech Daily reported.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/giant-comet-from-oort-cloud-spotted-moving-at-insane-speed-inside-solar-system-will-it-reach-earth-1750829164659">Giant comet from Oort cloud spotted moving at insane speed inside solar system. Will it reach Earth?</a>&nbsp;

The goal of the project, led by the Artificial and Mechanical Intelligence (AMI) Lab at IIT under Daniele Pucci, is to integrate walking and flying functions into humanoid robots to enable them to navigate unstructured and extreme environments. iRonCub3 was built on the latest version of the iCub humanoid robot, known as iCub3.“This research is radically different from traditional humanoid robotics and forced us to make a substantial leap forward with respect to the state of the art,” Daniele Pucci said. "Here, thermodynamics plays a pivotal role — the emission gases from the turbines reach 700°C and flow at nearly the speed of sound. Aerodynamics must be evaluated in real-time, while control systems must handle both slow joint actuators and fast jet turbines. Testing these robots is as fascinating as it is dangerous, and there is no room for improvisation."The humanoid robot uses four jet engines to fly. Two of them are mounted on its arms, and two on a jetpack attached to its back. In the earlier version, the iCub robot's hardware was modified with a new titanium spine and protective heat-resistant covers to make this possible. The entire robot weighs around 70 kilograms, and it can hover and carry out controlled flight manoeuvres even in unsuitable conditions, such as during wind disturbances.

The World's first flying humanoid robot lifted off the ground in Italy. It took off approximately 50 cm off the ground while maintaining stability. 

The world’s first jet-powered flying humanoid robot has successfully taken its first flight. This was made possible by researchers in Italy who published their observations and achievements in Nature Communications Engineering. The robot, iRonCub3, lifted off the ground by about 50 cm and remained stable for the entire duration. The Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) achieved a major breakthrough in humanoid robotics. iRonCub3 has been built for real-world environments. The entire project took the scientists two years, including the latest testing. The Italian scientists noted that in the latest experiments, the robot lifted approximately 50 cm off the ground while maintaining stability. This paves the way for the future development of flying robots that can work like humans but take flight for various tasks. The team analysed the robot’s complex aerodynamics and created an advanced control system for managing its interconnected parts. To create the flying humanoid robots, IIT roboticists in Genoa, Italy, collaborated with Alex Zanotti’s team at the DAER Aerodynamics Laboratory at the Polytechnic of Milan, where they carried out extensive wind tunnel tests. They also got together with Gianluca Iaccarino’s group at Stanford University, where "deep learning algorithms were developed to model aerodynamics," SciTech Daily reported. Also Read: Giant comet from Oort cloud spotted moving at insane speed inside solar system. Will it reach Earth?

The world's first flying humanoid robot lifted off the ground in Italy. It took off approximately 50 cm off the ground while maintaining stability.&nbsp;

Flying robot becomes a reality as first humanoid lifts off in Italy. Watch

A prehistoric horror story has been frozen in time — complete with mind control, body hijacking, and a fungus erupting from a fly's skull has been discovered. Scientists have discovered a million-year-old glob that proves that the "strangeness of the natural world that we see today was also present at the height of the age of the dinosaurs." Preserved inside a 99 million-year-old amber, scientists found an ancient fly stuck in a horror show—a zombie fungus bursting forth from its head. The fly, along with the specimen of a young ant stricken by a similar fungus.This zombie fungus (and its modern descendants) are parasites that hijack the bodies of their hosts, ultimately killing them. Even after the host's death, these parasites continue to puppeteer their victims' bodies, a bizarre natural phenomenon that inspired the hit TV series 'Last of Us'.<h2>An ancient horror</h2>Two insects — a fly and a juvenile ant — preserved in 99-million-year-old amber from Myanmar have revealed what scientists are calling some of the oldest examples of parasitic "zombie" fungi ever discovered.The fossils, found in Myanmar's amber markets, are a rare opportunity for scientists "to visualise the ancient ecological relationships preserved in fossils," said Yuhui Zhuang, lead author and doctoral researcher at Yunnan University.One of the fossils, a grotesquely well-preserved one, shows the fruiting bodies of the ancient fungi bursting through the hosts’ heads, frozen mid-invasion.The discovery, detailed in a June 11 study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, offers a rare and chilling look at how ancient ecosystems operated — and just how long nature has been perfecting the art of parasitism.Zhuang and his colleagues identified two new species of parasitic fungus from the Ophiocordyceps genus, infamous today for turning ants into zombified shells. The fossilized fungi were named Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae (on the ant) and Paleoophiocordyceps ironomyiae (on the fly). Researchers used microscopes and 3D micro-CT scans to study the stunning specimens.The oldest zombies in the forestToday, modern Ophiocordyceps fungi manipulate the behaviour of insects like carpenter ants — controlling their movements, making them climb high before dying, so the fungus can erupt and spread its spores.According to the researchers, Paleoophiocordyceps likely functioned in exactly the same way, suggesting that this kind of evolutionary trickery was already in place back in the Cretaceous period — at the height of the dinosaur age.Zombie fungi's favourite victim—the ant"It appears that ants, for some reason, were targeted early for zombification, and currently are the major recipients of this parasitoid fungus," said Conrad Labandeira, a Smithsonian palaeontologist not involved in the study. Flies are rarely affected today, which makes this fossilized example even more fascinating," he added.The infected insects were probably already dead — killed by the fungi — when they were trapped in tree resin, the sticky precursor to amber.The takeaway? Haunting and oddly poetic: even tens of millions of years ago, life — and death — was stranger than fiction.&nbsp;

Scientists have made a haunting and oddly poetic discovery that shows that even tens of millions of years ago, life — and death — was stranger than fiction. Here's all we know about the ancient zombie fungi discovery.

A prehistoric horror story has been frozen in time — complete with mind control, body hijacking, and a fungus erupting from a fly's skull has been discovered. Scientists have discovered a million-year-old glob that proves that the "strangeness of the natural world that we see today was also present at the height of the age of the dinosaurs." Preserved inside a 99 million-year-old amber, scientists found an ancient fly stuck in a horror show—a zombie fungus bursting forth from its head. The fly, along with the specimen of a young ant stricken by a similar fungus. This zombie fungus (and its modern descendants) are parasites that hijack the bodies of their hosts, ultimately killing them. Even after the host's death, these parasites continue to puppeteer their victims' bodies, a bizarre natural phenomenon that inspired the hit TV series 'Last of Us'. An ancient horror Two insects — a fly and a juvenile ant — preserved in 99-million-year-old amber from Myanmar have revealed what scientists are calling some of the oldest examples of parasitic "zombie" fungi ever discovered. The fossils, found in Myanmar's amber markets, are a rare opportunity for scientists "to visualise the ancient ecological relationships preserved in fossils," said Yuhui Zhuang, lead author and doctoral researcher at Yunnan University. One of the fossils, a grotesquely well-preserved one, shows the fruiting bodies of the ancient fungi bursting through the hosts’ heads, frozen mid-invasion. The discovery, detailed in a June 11 study in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, offers a rare and chilling look at how ancient ecosystems operated — and just how long nature has been perfecting the art of parasitism. Zhuang and his colleagues identified two new species of parasitic fungus from the Ophiocordyceps genus, infamous today for turning ants into zombified shells. The fossilized fungi were named Paleoophiocordyceps gerontoformicae (on the ant) and Paleoophiocordyceps ironomyiae (on the fly). Researchers used microscopes and 3D micro-CT scans to study the stunning specimens. The oldest zombies in the forest Today, modern Ophiocordyceps fungi manipulate the behaviour of insects like carpenter ants — controlling their movements, making them climb high before dying, so the fungus can erupt and spread its spores. According to the researchers, Paleoophiocordyceps likely functioned in exactly the same way, suggesting that this kind of evolutionary trickery was already in place back in the Cretaceous period — at the height of the dinosaur age. Zombie fungi's favourite victim—the ant "It appears that ants, for some reason, were targeted early for zombification, and currently are the major recipients of this parasitoid fungus," said Conrad Labandeira, a Smithsonian palaeontologist not involved in the study. Flies are rarely affected today, which makes this fossilized example even more fascinating," he added. The infected insects were probably already dead — killed by the fungi — when they were trapped in tree resin, the sticky precursor to amber. The takeaway? Haunting and oddly poetic: even tens of millions of years ago, life — and death — was stranger than fiction.

Scientists have made a haunting and oddly poetic discovery that shows that even tens of millions of years ago, life — and death — was stranger than fiction. Here's all we know about the ancient zombie fungi discovery.

Prehistoric horror: 99-million-year-old ‘zombie’ fungus found bursting from insect heads

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has jetted off to the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He will be accompanied by three other astronauts - Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and mission specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Shubhanshu's journey towards a space trip started in 2019. The Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), an organisation under the Indian Air Force for the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme, picked Shukla in the astronaut selection process. He was later shortlisted in the final four by IAM and ISRO.Nicknamed Shux, Shubhanshu Shukla's friends and colleagues say he is an extremely intelligent person, with exceptional mental capabilities and the way he processes knowledge. Peggy Whitson says his "technical knowledge" is an exceptional asset for the Axiom-4 mission.&nbsp;&nbsp;<h2>Shubhanshu Shukla's flying career</h2>&nbsp;Shukla completed his military training and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the National Defence Academy in 2005. The next year, he started his journey with flying aircraft when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/isro-shubhanshu-shukla-axiom-4-space-mission-ticket-price-cost-1749537739392">India paid millions of dollars to get Shubhanshu Shukla a seat on Axiom-4 space mission. A whopping...</a>&nbsp;Shubhanshu has 2,000 hours of flight experience with jets like Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk and more. He was elevated to group captain in March 2024 for his achievements and brilliant work. After the IAM selection process, he was one of only four astronauts to be finally picked by IAM and ISRO. Shubhanshu received basic astronaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia, which he completed in 2021.&nbsp;<h2>Shubhanshu Shukla chosen for Gaganyaan</h2>&nbsp;After returning to India, he received further training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. His years of hard work paid off when he was chosen to be a part of Gaganyaan, India's first human space mission. The first crewed mission is expected to be launched in 2026. The names of the astronauts who would be a part of Gaganyaan were announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 February 2024 at ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/-scheduled-to-lift-off-nasa-shares-status-ahead-of-axiom-4-launch-after-multiple-delays-1750798949785">'Scheduled to lift off...': NASA shares status ahead of Axiom-4 launch after multiple delays</a>&nbsp;<h2>What is the Axiom-4 mission?</h2>&nbsp;But before Gaganyaan, Shukla has made history by becoming only the second Indian to go to space. The trip is happening aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon capsule. India has paid space company Axiom a whopping $70 million for a seat to the International Space Station. That is nearly Rs 599 crore. Axiom-4 is carrying around 60 scientific studies from 31 countries to the ISS. Rakesh Sharma was the last Indian to fly to space aboard a Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme. &nbsp;

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has jetted off to the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He is the second Indian to go to space in 41 years.

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has jetted off to the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. He will be accompanied by three other astronauts - Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut, mission specialist Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski of Poland, and mission specialist Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Shubhanshu's journey towards a space trip started in 2019. The Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IAM), an organisation under the Indian Air Force for the Indian Human Spaceflight Programme, picked Shukla in the astronaut selection process. He was later shortlisted in the final four by IAM and ISRO. Nicknamed Shux, Shubhanshu Shukla's friends and colleagues say he is an extremely intelligent person, with exceptional mental capabilities and the way he processes knowledge. Peggy Whitson says his "technical knowledge" is an exceptional asset for the Axiom-4 mission. Shubhanshu Shukla's flying career Shukla completed his military training and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the National Defence Academy in 2005. The next year, he started his journey with flying aircraft when he was commissioned into the IAF fighter wing. Also Read: India paid millions of dollars to get Shubhanshu Shukla a seat on Axiom-4 space mission. A whopping... Shubhanshu has 2,000 hours of flight experience with jets like Su-30 MKI, MiG-21, MiG-29, Jaguar, Hawk and more. He was elevated to group captain in March 2024 for his achievements and brilliant work. After the IAM selection process, he was one of only four astronauts to be finally picked by IAM and ISRO. Shubhanshu received basic astronaut training at the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre in Russia, which he completed in 2021. Shubhanshu Shukla chosen for Gaganyaan After returning to India, he received further training at the Astronaut Training Facility in Bengaluru. His years of hard work paid off when he was chosen to be a part of Gaganyaan, India's first human space mission. The first crewed mission is expected to be launched in 2026. The names of the astronauts who would be a part of Gaganyaan were announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 February 2024 at ISRO's Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. Also Read: 'Scheduled to lift off...': NASA shares status ahead of Axiom-4 launch after multiple delays What is the Axiom-4 mission? But before Gaganyaan, Shukla has made history by becoming only the second Indian to go to space. The trip is happening aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 Dragon capsule. India has paid space company Axiom a whopping $70 million for a seat to the International Space Station. That is nearly Rs 599 crore. Axiom-4 is carrying around 60 scientific studies from 31 countries to the ISS. Rakesh Sharma was the last Indian to fly to space aboard a Soyuz T-11 on 3 April 1984 as part of the Soviet Interkosmos programme.

Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has jetted off to the International Space Station as part of the Axiom-4 mission. Shukla has made history by becoming only the second Indian to go to space.&nbsp;

From IAF pilot to astronaut: Axiom-4 pilot Shubhanshu Shukla's journey to space

P Diddy trial: Defence and prosecution have rested their cases in the federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial of disgraced hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs that ran from May 12 to Tuesday (June 25), with the closing arguments and final verdict expected in the coming weeks. The hearings at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan US Courthouse in New York City before Indian-origin judge Arun Subramanian witnessed sordid details of decades of abuse, wild parties and reckless lifestyle of the man once known as Puff Daddy. He faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has denied all charges. If convicted and sentenced, it will be yet another downfall of a major hip hop figure of the 21st century.&nbsp;<h2>P Diddy trial: what you should know</h2>The 55-year-old Combs is accused of using violence and threats against women to force them to take part in drug-fueled sex in parties labelled ‘freakouts’ and ‘kings nights’ for over 20 years. The defence lawyers, who called no witnesses, argued that the whole case is a misrepresentation of consensual relationships.&nbsp;The prosecution rested after over 30 witnesses, while defence called no witness. Combs himself did not testify, but has denied the charges.&nbsp; Closing arguments are scheduled for June 26–27, 2025, followed by jury deliberations. The final verdict is expected before the 4th of July holiday weekend.<h2>P Diddy trial recap: Who said what in the testimonies</h2>Here is how the trial unfolded, told through the key witnesses: &nbsp;Cassie Ventura, Combs’ former girlfriend, was the key prosecution witness. Testifying for four days, she described her decade-long abusive relationship with Combs. She alleged physical assaults, rapes, and coercion into sex with male escorts at drug-fueled parties called ‘freak-outs’. On the specific incident that underpins the case, she recalled how in 2016, Combs hit her at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. This was caught on security camera footage exhibited in the courtroom. Ventura also alleged Combs threatened to leak compromising videos of her.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/sean-diddy-comb-sex-trafficking-trial-rappers-defense-team-faces-potential-shake-up-8752840/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/sean-diddy-comb-sex-trafficking-trial-rappers-defense-team-faces-potential-shake-up-8752840/embed</a>&nbsp;Israel Florez, a security guard at the InterContinental Hotel in 2016, told the court that he saw Combs and Ventura in an elevator vestibule, and having noted Ventura’s "purple eye". Florez claimed Combs offered him a bribe that he rejected. &nbsp;Eddy Garcia, a former security officer at the InterContinental Hotel, told the court of having accepted $100,000 from Combs for the CCTV footage of the 2016 incident and signing a non-disclosure agreement. &nbsp;David James, a former staffer of Combs, described how Combs allegedly groomed Cassie Ventura when she was young. James shared stories about ecstasy pills shaped like a former president’s face, and alleged that celebs like Usher and Jimmy Iovine saw Combs abusing Ventura, but did nothing. &nbsp;George Kaplan, another ex-employee, said he had arranged for hotel rooms for Combs under different names, like &nbsp;Frank Black, and after parties, cleaned up liquor bottles, baby oil, and what he called ‘brown crystallised powder’ from the rooms, an allusion to drug use. He also claimed to have procured drugs like MDMA for Combs.&nbsp; Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi), who had a brief affair with Ventura,&nbsp; claimed that Combs broke into his home and arranged a firebombing of his car, after learning about his relationship with Ventura.&nbsp;&nbsp;Mylah Morales, a makeup artist who met Ventura at a photoshoot when the latter was 16, &nbsp;gave an account of Combs’ abuse towards Ventura, which she had witnessed. &nbsp;Capricorn Clark, another ex-employee, recounted Combs allegedly kicking Ventura in 2011 as punishment for her relationship with Kid Cudi, and how Combs waved a gun during an argument. &nbsp;Mia (pseudonym), a friend of Ventura and Combs' former assistant, alleged physical, sexual, and emotional abuse by Combs, including an assault at his 40th birthday party. The defence challenged her credibility. &nbsp;Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Ventura, recalled physical abuse and threats meted out to Ventura by Combs. Bongolan recalled how Combs allegedly held Ventura over a 17th-floor balcony in 2016, and threw a knife at her. Jane (pseudonym), another accuser of Combs, recollected their relationship from 2021 to 2024. She alleged Combs forced her into ‘hotel nights’ involving sex with other men, described as part of a cuckold lifestyle. She recounted how in 2024, Combs threw water at her and called her names for saying she was tired. &nbsp;Brendan Paul, another ex-aide, described having set up “wild king nights”. He claimed &nbsp;Jane was a willing participant in these events. &nbsp;Jonathan Perez, an ex-assistant of Combs from 2021 to 2024, described organising &nbsp;“king nights” for Combs with baby oil, alcohol, and drugs. He described Combs carrying a Gucci pouch containing ketamine, molly and Adderall.&nbsp; DeLeassa Penland, a US special agent, said Combs arranged travel for an escort in 2009, boosting the prostitution charge against him.&nbsp; Joseph Cerciello, a Homeland Security Investigations agent, provided a 20-minute “freak-off” video among other exhibits, thus concluding the prosecution’s case.

The 55-year-old Combs is accused of using violence and threats against women to force them to take part in drug-fueled sex in parties labelled freakouts and king nights for over 20 years

P Diddy trial: Defence and prosecution have rested their cases in the federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial of disgraced hip hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs that ran from May 12 to Tuesday (June 25), with the closing arguments and final verdict expected in the coming weeks. The hearings at the Daniel Patrick Moynihan US Courthouse in New York City before Indian-origin judge Arun Subramanian witnessed sordid details of decades of abuse, wild parties and reckless lifestyle of the man once known as Puff Daddy. He faces charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. Combs has denied all charges. If convicted and sentenced, it will be yet another downfall of a major hip hop figure of the 21st century. P Diddy trial: what you should know The 55-year-old Combs is accused of using violence and threats against women to force them to take part in drug-fueled sex in parties labelled ‘freakouts’ and ‘kings nights’ for over 20 years. The defence lawyers, who called no witnesses, argued that the whole case is a misrepresentation of consensual relationships. The prosecution rested after over 30 witnesses, while defence called no witness. Combs himself did not testify, but has denied the charges. Closing arguments are scheduled for June 26–27, 2025, followed by jury deliberations. The final verdict is expected before the 4th of July holiday weekend. P Diddy trial recap: Who said what in the testimonies Here is how the trial unfolded, told through the key witnesses: Cassie Ventura, Combs’ former girlfriend, was the key prosecution witness. Testifying for four days, she described her decade-long abusive relationship with Combs. She alleged physical assaults, rapes, and coercion into sex with male escorts at drug-fueled parties called ‘freak-outs’. On the specific incident that underpins the case, she recalled how in 2016, Combs hit her at the InterContinental Hotel in Los Angeles. This was caught on security camera footage exhibited in the courtroom. Ventura also alleged Combs threatened to leak compromising videos of her. https://www.wionews.com/videos/sean-diddy-comb-sex-trafficking-trial-rappers-defense-team-faces-potential-shake-up-8752840/embed Israel Florez, a security guard at the InterContinental Hotel in 2016, told the court that he saw Combs and Ventura in an elevator vestibule, and having noted Ventura’s "purple eye". Florez claimed Combs offered him a bribe that he rejected. Eddy Garcia, a former security officer at the InterContinental Hotel, told the court of having accepted $100,000 from Combs for the CCTV footage of the 2016 incident and signing a non-disclosure agreement. David James, a former staffer of Combs, described how Combs allegedly groomed Cassie Ventura when she was young. James shared stories about ecstasy pills shaped like a former president’s face, and alleged that celebs like Usher and Jimmy Iovine saw Combs abusing Ventura, but did nothing. George Kaplan, another ex-employee, said he had arranged for hotel rooms for Combs under different names, like Frank Black, and after parties, cleaned up liquor bottles, baby oil, and what he called ‘brown crystallised powder’ from the rooms, an allusion to drug use. He also claimed to have procured drugs like MDMA for Combs. Kid Cudi (Scott Mescudi), who had a brief affair with Ventura, claimed that Combs broke into his home and arranged a firebombing of his car, after learning about his relationship with Ventura. Mylah Morales, a makeup artist who met Ventura at a photoshoot when the latter was 16, gave an account of Combs’ abuse towards Ventura, which she had witnessed. Capricorn Clark, another ex-employee, recounted Combs allegedly kicking Ventura in 2011 as punishment for her relationship with Kid Cudi, and how Combs waved a gun during an argument. Mia (pseudonym), a friend of Ventura and Combs' former assistant, alleged physical, sexual, and emotional abuse by Combs, including an assault at his 40th birthday party. The defence challenged her credibility. Bryana Bongolan, a friend of Ventura, recalled physical abuse and threats meted out to Ventura by Combs. Bongolan recalled how Combs allegedly held Ventura over a 17th-floor balcony in 2016, and threw a knife at her. Jane (pseudonym), another accuser of Combs, recollected their relationship from 2021 to 2024. She alleged Combs forced her into ‘hotel nights’ involving sex with other men, described as part of a cuckold lifestyle. She recounted how in 2024, Combs threw water at her and called her names for saying she was tired. Brendan Paul, another ex-aide, described having set up “wild king nights”. He claimed Jane was a willing participant in these events. Jonathan Perez, an ex-assistant of Combs from 2021 to 2024, described organising “king nights” for Combs with baby oil, alcohol, and drugs. He described Combs carrying a Gucci pouch containing ketamine, molly and Adderall. DeLeassa Penland, a US special agent, said Combs arranged travel for an escort in 2009, boosting the prostitution charge against him. Joseph Cerciello, a Homeland Security Investigations agent, provided a 20-minute “freak-off” video among other exhibits, thus concluding the prosecution’s case.

The 55-year-old Combs is accused of using violence and threats against women to force them to take part in drug-fueled sex in parties labelled ‘freakouts’ and ‘king nights’ for over 20 years.&nbsp;

Sex, drugs, hip hop and jail: P Diddy trial, who said what as defence, prosecution rest case | A total recap

A leaked intel report on the early assessment of the damage wrought by US bombing on three Iranian nuclear strikes has concluded that the strike has only set Tehran's nuclear programme back by a few months. As per reports, the damage was further lessened by the fact that Iran moved enriched uranium out of the sites before the US strikes. Citing people in the know, reports suggest that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles were moved before US President Donald Trump ordered strikes that could destroy them. Trump, on his part, has doubled down on his "obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites claim and has slammed news websites that published the US leaked intel.<h2>Iran moved nuclear stockpiles</h2>Citing two people familiar with the classified US assessment, CNN reported that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed and that its centrifuges were largely "intact." One of the people who chose to stay anonymous claimed that the "enriched uranium was moved out of the sites prior to the US strikes". Similarly, The New York Times reported that "much of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was moved before the strikes, which destroyed little of the nuclear material. Some of that may have been moved to secret nuclear sites maintained by Iran."Watch | U.S. intelligence says main components of nuke programmme not destroyed<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-intelligence-says-main-components-of-nuke-programmme-not-destroyed-1750819190440/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-intelligence-says-main-components-of-nuke-programmme-not-destroyed-1750819190440/embed</a>The leaked preliminary, classified report comes from the United States Defence Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm. It suggests that the recent American bombing campaign on Iran's nuclear facilities — touted by President Donald Trump as a mission that "obliterated" Tehran's capabilities — has, in fact, only set the programme back by a few months. While earlier, as per US estimation, Iran was just three months away from making a bomb, now, as per the leaked assessment, Tehran's nuclear timeline has been delayed by as little as three months. However, quickly slamming the reports, Trump on Truth Social doubled down on his claims that the Iranian nuclear sites were "obliterated" in US strikes. Insisting that the three nuclear facilities were "completely destroyed" he ridiculed media houses that published reports casting doubt on his claims of the destruction of three nuclear sites in Iran -Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.&nbsp;

Citing people in the know, reports suggest that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles were moved before US President Donald Trump ordered strikes that could destroy them. 

A leaked intel report on the early assessment of the damage wrought by US bombing on three Iranian nuclear strikes has concluded that the strike has only set Tehran's nuclear programme back by a few months. As per reports, the damage was further lessened by the fact that Iran moved enriched uranium out of the sites before the US strikes. Citing people in the know, reports suggest that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles were moved before US President Donald Trump ordered strikes that could destroy them. Trump, on his part, has doubled down on his "obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites claim and has slammed news websites that published the US leaked intel. Iran moved nuclear stockpiles Citing two people familiar with the classified US assessment, CNN reported that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed and that its centrifuges were largely "intact." One of the people who chose to stay anonymous claimed that the "enriched uranium was moved out of the sites prior to the US strikes". Similarly, The New York Times reported that "much of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was moved before the strikes, which destroyed little of the nuclear material. Some of that may have been moved to secret nuclear sites maintained by Iran." Watch | U.S. intelligence says main components of nuke programmme not destroyed https://www.wionews.com/videos/u-s-intelligence-says-main-components-of-nuke-programmme-not-destroyed-1750819190440/embed The leaked preliminary, classified report comes from the United States Defence Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm. It suggests that the recent American bombing campaign on Iran's nuclear facilities — touted by President Donald Trump as a mission that "obliterated" Tehran's capabilities — has, in fact, only set the programme back by a few months. While earlier, as per US estimation, Iran was just three months away from making a bomb, now, as per the leaked assessment, Tehran's nuclear timeline has been delayed by as little as three months. However, quickly slamming the reports, Trump on Truth Social doubled down on his claims that the Iranian nuclear sites were "obliterated" in US strikes. Insisting that the three nuclear facilities were "completely destroyed" he ridiculed media houses that published reports casting doubt on his claims of the destruction of three nuclear sites in Iran -Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan.

Citing people in the know, reports suggest that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles were moved before US President Donald Trump ordered strikes that could destroy them.&nbsp;

Did Iran move enriched uranium stockpile to 'secret nuclear sites' before US strike? Leaked intel report suggests so

Astronomers have observed a giant comet hurtling towards the inner solar system, releasing superfast jets. It is spewing carbon monoxide from its surface at an absolutely insane speed. Comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) is the largest comet to originate from the Oort Cloud. The comet is absolutely humongous, measuring a whopping 137 kilometres wide. The comet first seen in March, 2024, is 14 times bigger than the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Its insane activity and size were confirmed by scientists in Chile. Will it close up on Earth any time soon?Comet C/2014 was seen having its first outburst on 8 March last year. It was extremely hyperactive and again released a jet on 17 March, which was of a lesser scale than the first one. It is visiting from the Oort Cloud, a region in space far beyond the orbit of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile to make further observations and confirmed that the comet is a monster size and oozing high-speed jets.Astrochemist Nathan Roth of American University and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center said looking at the comet gives them a chance to learn about the enormous, icy world. "We're seeing explosive outgassing patterns that raise new questions about how this comet will evolve as it continues its journey toward the inner Solar System," he said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/someone-just-contacted-earth-and-it-shouldn-t-have-because-it-is-long-dead-1750501103924">Someone just contacted Earth, and it shouldn't have...because it is long dead</a>&nbsp;After the first observation on 8 March, when scientists saw jets blasting from the comet's nucleus, it seemed to have settled down a bit by the time it released its second jet. Astronomers could only see one jet in the second observation, but they think it could have simply moved out of view. There were hints of the beginning of a coma, the cloud of gas and dust that forms around the comet's nucleus as it approaches the sun. As it gets closer, this coma starts fizzing away and forms the tail of the comet.&nbsp;<h2>Comet was spotted near Uranus</h2>&nbsp;The most intriguing thing about the observation is that the comet was spotted when it was just inside the orbit of Uranus, some 16 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. Its size makes it even special, since it is twice the estimated size of the comet Hale-Bopp, the previous mammoth from the Oort Cloud. The biggest comet known to man is 95P/Chiron, which is more than 210 kilometres wide. It moves in a fixed orbit around the Sun between Saturn and Uranus.Will Comet C/2014 reach Earth?The monster comet screeching through the solar system will not come close to Earth. It will make it as far as the orbit of Saturn on 29 January 2031. Scientists are eager to learn more about the comet when it reaches its closest point. They will continue to look at it in the meantime.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein): The Oort cloud has sent its biggest comet yet towards the inner solar system, and it is travelling at an insane speed, releasing jets of carbon monoxide.

Astronomers have observed a giant comet hurtling towards the inner solar system, releasing superfast jets. It is spewing carbon monoxide from its surface at an absolutely insane speed. Comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein) is the largest comet to originate from the Oort Cloud. The comet is absolutely humongous, measuring a whopping 137 kilometres wide. The comet first seen in March, 2024, is 14 times bigger than the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago. Its insane activity and size were confirmed by scientists in Chile. Will it close up on Earth any time soon? Comet C/2014 was seen having its first outburst on 8 March last year. It was extremely hyperactive and again released a jet on 17 March, which was of a lesser scale than the first one. It is visiting from the Oort Cloud, a region in space far beyond the orbit of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. Astronomers used the Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile to make further observations and confirmed that the comet is a monster size and oozing high-speed jets. Astrochemist Nathan Roth of American University and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center said looking at the comet gives them a chance to learn about the enormous, icy world. "We're seeing explosive outgassing patterns that raise new questions about how this comet will evolve as it continues its journey toward the inner Solar System," he said. Also Read: Someone just contacted Earth, and it shouldn't have...because it is long dead After the first observation on 8 March, when scientists saw jets blasting from the comet's nucleus, it seemed to have settled down a bit by the time it released its second jet. Astronomers could only see one jet in the second observation, but they think it could have simply moved out of view. There were hints of the beginning of a coma, the cloud of gas and dust that forms around the comet's nucleus as it approaches the sun. As it gets closer, this coma starts fizzing away and forms the tail of the comet. Comet was spotted near Uranus The most intriguing thing about the observation is that the comet was spotted when it was just inside the orbit of Uranus, some 16 times the distance between Earth and the Sun. Its size makes it even special, since it is twice the estimated size of the comet Hale-Bopp, the previous mammoth from the Oort Cloud. The biggest comet known to man is 95P/Chiron, which is more than 210 kilometres wide. It moves in a fixed orbit around the Sun between Saturn and Uranus. Will Comet C/2014 reach Earth? The monster comet screeching through the solar system will not come close to Earth. It will make it as far as the orbit of Saturn on 29 January 2031. Scientists are eager to learn more about the comet when it reaches its closest point. They will continue to look at it in the meantime.

Comet C/2014 UN271 (Bernardinelli-Bernstein): The Oort cloud has sent its biggest comet yet towards the inner solar system, and it is travelling at an insane speed, releasing jets of carbon monoxide.

Giant comet from Oort cloud spotted moving at insane speed inside solar system. Will it reach Earth?

A Brazilian tourist who fell into an active volcano during a hike in Indonesia was found dead by rescue workers. Juliana, a 26-year-old pole dancer, was on a trip to Southeast Asia and had already traversed through Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. In Indonesia, she joined a hiking group and went up Mount Rinjani, Indonesia's second-largest volcano. Here she got separated from the group and plunged hundreds of feet into the abyss. Videos showing Juliana alive and moving were released, giving hope to her family members. However, it took the rescue teams almost four days to reach her, and by that time, it was too late. Her parents are accusing the authorities in Brazil and Indonesia of not doing enough on time. Juliana's family was reportedly shown videos of rescue teams taking food, water and warm clothing to her, which were fake and AI-generated."After four days of work, hindered by adverse weather, terrain and visibility conditions in the region, teams from Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency found the body of the Brazilian tourist," a statement from the Brazilian government read.&nbsp;&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/-and-their-jaws-drop-first-neuralink-patient-shares-how-he-draws-using-just-his-mind-1750767712176">'And their jaws drop...': First Neuralink patient shares how he draws using just his mind</a>&nbsp;The family says they urged rescue officials to work faster to save Juliana. Her sister said officials misled them with fake videos of rescue teams reaching Juliana. "All the videos that were made are lies, including the one of the rescue arriving at her. The video was forged to look like that, along with this message associated with it. We even celebrated. It was a shock to find out that it was a lie," Mariana said.Her father, Manoel Marins, told Brazil's TV Globo before leaving for Indonesia that there has been a lack of communication between Indonesian and Brazilian authorities. He alleged at the time that officials don't know where she is and they haven't reached her. "She hasn't received water, she hasn't received food. She's been alone for more than 36 hours, and it seems like they don't even know where she is now," he said.&nbsp;<h2>Juliana got separated from a group of hikers</h2>&nbsp;Juliana had paid $150 to join six tourists and a tour guide on the active volcano located on Lombok Island. She faced problems on the hike and was left behind by the tour guide, her sister Mariana told Brazilian news magazine Fantastico. Mariana said the park told them about what had happened. "We found out about this after contacting people who work at the park. Juliana was in this group, but she got very tired and asked to stop for a while. They kept going, and the guide didn't stay with her," she said.Her sister further said that she was lost and didn't know where to go, what to do. The guide returned when he saw Juliana had still not joined them back, and found that she had fallen into the abyss. However, the guide, identified as Ali Musthofa, told Brazilian outlet O Globo that he never left Juliana, but waited for her."I looked for her at the last resting place, but I couldn't find her. I told her I would wait for her ahead. I told her to rest," he said. He then saw the light of a flashlight in a ravine about 150 meters deep and heard Juliana's voice calling for help. Musthofa told Juliana to wait for help.&nbsp; &nbsp;

Julianas family was reportedly shown videos of rescue teams taking food, water and warm clothing to her, which were fake and AI-generated. Why did the officials trick them into believing she had been saved

A Brazilian tourist who fell into an active volcano during a hike in Indonesia was found dead by rescue workers. Juliana, a 26-year-old pole dancer, was on a trip to Southeast Asia and had already traversed through Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines. In Indonesia, she joined a hiking group and went up Mount Rinjani, Indonesia's second-largest volcano. Here she got separated from the group and plunged hundreds of feet into the abyss. Videos showing Juliana alive and moving were released, giving hope to her family members. However, it took the rescue teams almost four days to reach her, and by that time, it was too late. Her parents are accusing the authorities in Brazil and Indonesia of not doing enough on time. Juliana's family was reportedly shown videos of rescue teams taking food, water and warm clothing to her, which were fake and AI-generated. "After four days of work, hindered by adverse weather, terrain and visibility conditions in the region, teams from Indonesia's Search and Rescue Agency found the body of the Brazilian tourist," a statement from the Brazilian government read. Also Read: 'And their jaws drop...': First Neuralink patient shares how he draws using just his mind The family says they urged rescue officials to work faster to save Juliana. Her sister said officials misled them with fake videos of rescue teams reaching Juliana. "All the videos that were made are lies, including the one of the rescue arriving at her. The video was forged to look like that, along with this message associated with it. We even celebrated. It was a shock to find out that it was a lie," Mariana said. Her father, Manoel Marins, told Brazil's TV Globo before leaving for Indonesia that there has been a lack of communication between Indonesian and Brazilian authorities. He alleged at the time that officials don't know where she is and they haven't reached her. "She hasn't received water, she hasn't received food. She's been alone for more than 36 hours, and it seems like they don't even know where she is now," he said. Juliana got separated from a group of hikers Juliana had paid $150 to join six tourists and a tour guide on the active volcano located on Lombok Island. She faced problems on the hike and was left behind by the tour guide, her sister Mariana told Brazilian news magazine Fantastico. Mariana said the park told them about what had happened. "We found out about this after contacting people who work at the park. Juliana was in this group, but she got very tired and asked to stop for a while. They kept going, and the guide didn't stay with her," she said. Her sister further said that she was lost and didn't know where to go, what to do. The guide returned when he saw Juliana had still not joined them back, and found that she had fallen into the abyss. However, the guide, identified as Ali Musthofa, told Brazilian outlet O Globo that he never left Juliana, but waited for her. "I looked for her at the last resting place, but I couldn't find her. I told her I would wait for her ahead. I told her to rest," he said. He then saw the light of a flashlight in a ravine about 150 meters deep and heard Juliana's voice calling for help. Musthofa told Juliana to wait for help.

Juliana's family was reportedly shown videos of rescue teams taking food, water and warm clothing to her, which were fake and AI-generated. Why did the officials trick them into believing she had been saved?&nbsp;

'All videos were lie': Family of Brazilian woman who died inside active volcano says they were tricked with AI videos

A massive 5-foot-wide jellyfish washed up on a beach in Maine over the weekend, prompting authorities to issue warnings. People have been asked not to touch the jellyfish as its sting can prove dangerous. The giant red lion’s mane jellyfish was seen lurking off the coast of New England. The sea creature has hundreds of tentacles that pack a powerful punch. So swimmers and beachgoers have been asked to stay away from it. City officials have urged people to observe the "pretty" animal from a distance. “Don’t touch it! They sting," the city warned in the post. "Observe it. They’re so interesting to watch, and pretty too."The lion’s mane jellyfish is the largest jellyfish species in the world. According to Oceana, the jellyfish delivers a powerful sting that is very painful to humans. Its name has been derived from the appearance of the tentacles on its underside. It has long, hair-like tentacles hanging from under its bell-shaped body, hence mane is used in its name.&nbsp;

The Weather Channel reported that several lion's mane jellyfish have been washing ashore in Maine this year, which is more than usual. It describes its appearance as a creature "oozing, bloody blobs of goo". These creatures are massive and can cause quite a scare. Jellyfish were also spotted in &nbsp;Massachusetts this week. The Ipswich police have issued a warning for swimmers after receiving multiple reports of jellyfish in their waters. "Multiple reports of jellyfish in the Ipswich waters. &nbsp;Please be alert when entering the waters and swimming," a note on Facebook by the Ipswich Police Department read.In Maine and Massachusetts, people have been told to inform a lifeguard if they see a lion’s mane jellyfish on the shore so they can help it back into the water. The photo of the scary-looking jellyfish creeped people out, who could not believe the size and colour of the giant sea creature. A person wrote, "If that stings you, that's going to need more than pee," referring to the known method of treating a jellyfish bite.

A massive red jellyfish was seen on a beach in Maine over the weekend. It has hundreds of tentacles that can deliver a powerful and painful sting to humans.

A massive 5-foot-wide jellyfish washed up on a beach in Maine over the weekend, prompting authorities to issue warnings. People have been asked not to touch the jellyfish as its sting can prove dangerous. The giant red lion’s mane jellyfish was seen lurking off the coast of New England. The sea creature has hundreds of tentacles that pack a powerful punch. So swimmers and beachgoers have been asked to stay away from it. City officials have urged people to observe the "pretty" animal from a distance. “Don’t touch it! They sting," the city warned in the post. "Observe it. They’re so interesting to watch, and pretty too." The lion’s mane jellyfish is the largest jellyfish species in the world. According to Oceana, the jellyfish delivers a powerful sting that is very painful to humans. Its name has been derived from the appearance of the tentacles on its underside. It has long, hair-like tentacles hanging from under its bell-shaped body, hence mane is used in its name.

A massive red jellyfish was seen on a beach in Maine over the weekend. It has hundreds of tentacles that can deliver a powerful and painful sting to humans.

'Don’t touch it!' Massive sea creature that appears to be 'oozing, bloody blobs of goo' washes up in Maine

Researchers have found that climate change is bad for planes. In a new study, they explained that there is a "heightened climate risk to airlines from thunderstorm microbursts, especially during takeoff and landing." Writing for The Conversation, the scientists revealed that climate change is making turbulence worse. Professor Lance M Leslie and Milton Speer from the University of Technology, Sydney, have established that there is a link between "freak wind gusts" and global warming. Using machine learning techniques, the two researchers noted that heat and moisture are the primary reasons for the creation of "downbursts", the winds that trigger turbulence. Their study has been published in the journal Climate.These can cause a scare for the planes while they are taking off and landing, leading them to lose or gain altitude. They warned that "airlines and air safety authorities should anticipate more strong microbursts" and remain more vigilant in a warming world. Turbulence has often been studied by scientists, but they have mostly focused on the "dangers at high altitude, such as clear air turbulence, and jet stream instability."&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/drunk-passenger-pulls-woman-s-hair-is-zip-tied-after-maniacal-episode-on-southwest-flight-1750304391881">Drunk passenger pulls woman's hair, is zip tied after maniacal episode on flight in New York</a>&nbsp;Leslie and Speer say that there has been "less research on the dangers of turbulence caused by downbursts at lower altitudes." They turned to machine learning to identify the climate drivers behind these downbursts and discovered that heat and moisture work together to create these downbursts that are dangerous for planes."Global warming increases the amount of water vapour in the lower atmosphere. That's because 1°C of warming allows the atmosphere to hold 7% more water vapour," they wrote. As the seas get warmer, extra moisture from the surface of the oceans evaporates and feeds the clouds. "Increased heat and water vapour fuels stronger thunderstorms," they wrote.Thunderstorms pose a major hazard, causing "rapid changes in wind strength and direction at low altitudes," according to the experts. Even small downbursts, only about a few kilometres wide, can abruptly change the direction and speed of wind, triggering turbulence in the air. The problem worsens for smaller aircraft. "Small planes with 4–50 passenger seats are more vulnerable to the strong, even extreme, wind gusts spawned by thunderstorm microbursts," the authors wrote. It is only going to get bad from here, as the "intensity of destructive wind gusts from wet microburst thunderstorms is expected to increase." &nbsp;

Global warming and climate change are set to worsen air turbulence, especially for smaller aircraft. Scientists say it is terrible at least two times.

Researchers have found that climate change is bad for planes. In a new study, they explained that there is a "heightened climate risk to airlines from thunderstorm microbursts, especially during takeoff and landing." Writing for The Conversation, the scientists revealed that climate change is making turbulence worse. Professor Lance M Leslie and Milton Speer from the University of Technology, Sydney, have established that there is a link between "freak wind gusts" and global warming. Using machine learning techniques, the two researchers noted that heat and moisture are the primary reasons for the creation of "downbursts", the winds that trigger turbulence. Their study has been published in the journal Climate. These can cause a scare for the planes while they are taking off and landing, leading them to lose or gain altitude. They warned that "airlines and air safety authorities should anticipate more strong microbursts" and remain more vigilant in a warming world. Turbulence has often been studied by scientists, but they have mostly focused on the "dangers at high altitude, such as clear air turbulence, and jet stream instability." Also Read: Drunk passenger pulls woman's hair, is zip tied after maniacal episode on flight in New York Leslie and Speer say that there has been "less research on the dangers of turbulence caused by downbursts at lower altitudes." They turned to machine learning to identify the climate drivers behind these downbursts and discovered that heat and moisture work together to create these downbursts that are dangerous for planes. "Global warming increases the amount of water vapour in the lower atmosphere. That's because 1°C of warming allows the atmosphere to hold 7% more water vapour," they wrote. As the seas get warmer, extra moisture from the surface of the oceans evaporates and feeds the clouds. "Increased heat and water vapour fuels stronger thunderstorms," they wrote. Thunderstorms pose a major hazard, causing "rapid changes in wind strength and direction at low altitudes," according to the experts. Even small downbursts, only about a few kilometres wide, can abruptly change the direction and speed of wind, triggering turbulence in the air. The problem worsens for smaller aircraft. "Small planes with 4–50 passenger seats are more vulnerable to the strong, even extreme, wind gusts spawned by thunderstorm microbursts," the authors wrote. It is only going to get bad from here, as the "intensity of destructive wind gusts from wet microburst thunderstorms is expected to increase."

Global warming and climate change are set to worsen air turbulence, especially for smaller aircraft. Scientists say it is terrible at least two times.

It's getting hot. That's bad news for airplanes, especially the smaller ones

The first human whose brain was implanted with &nbsp;Elon Musk's Neuralink chip is showing off more skills. Noland Arbaugh, from Arizona, says he can draw using just his mind, and also depicted the amazing feat. A diving accident left him paralysed below the shoulders in 2016. That same year, US neurotechnology firm Neuralink was launched. However, the first human tests were only allowed in 2023, and in January 2024, Noland became the first person to receive the brain chip implant. The brain-computer interface (BCI) chip is extremely small.Entrepreneur and author of Neuraleap: HOW BCI will redefine communication, business and governance, Velco Dar, talked to Noland recently and drew some lines with him. He shared the experience on X, saying he used a computer trackpad to draw on a shared canvas, while Noland controlled the cursor with his brain for the same."Last week I spoke to Noland Arbaugh &nbsp;@ModdedQuad about his journey &amp; his views on a BCI future. Then we drew some lines together on a shared canvas: him controlling the cursor using his thoughts (via @neuralink ), and me - the old school way, using a computer trackpad," Dar wrote. &nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Last week I spoke to Noland Arbaugh <a href="https://twitter.com/ModdedQuad?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ModdedQuad</a> about his journey &amp; his views on a BCI future. Then we drew some lines together on a shared canvas: him controlling the cursor using his thoughts (via <a href="https://twitter.com/neuralink?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@neuralink</a>), and me - the old school way, using a computer trackpad. <a href="https://t.co/vQ4mgJzExP">pic.twitter.com/vQ4mgJzExP</a>&mdash; Velco Dar (@VelcoDar) <a href="https://twitter.com/VelcoDar/status/1934793052532691444?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Noland said in the interview that he is "not artistic at all". But he demonstrated how he uses the N1 chip to draw digital photos on screen. He controlled the cursor with his mind, and drew flowers, the sun and a house. Dar noted that it was incredible to see Noland move something using just his mind. Noland said that he sometimes forgets that what he does with his brain is not something people are used to seeing. “I forget that people haven’t seen this constantly. I think, 'Oh yeah, this is just my life, this is how I use it and what I do with it.'”He added, “I use it around people who’ve never seen it before, and their jaws drop.” Noland said that while trying to move the cursor, he imagines certain scenarios in his mind. He told Dar that he "clicks and drags" the cursor in his mind. Other actions he thinks about include "flicking his thumb out to the left, while the other is pinky out to the right." Earlier, Noland had shown himself playing chess, video games and learning languages.

Noland Arbaugh was interviewed by entrepreneur and author Velco Dar. Together, they drew on a canvas, with the former using just his mind.

The first human whose brain was implanted with Elon Musk's Neuralink chip is showing off more skills. Noland Arbaugh, from Arizona, says he can draw using just his mind, and also depicted the amazing feat. A diving accident left him paralysed below the shoulders in 2016. That same year, US neurotechnology firm Neuralink was launched. However, the first human tests were only allowed in 2023, and in January 2024, Noland became the first person to receive the brain chip implant. The brain-computer interface (BCI) chip is extremely small. Entrepreneur and author of Neuraleap: HOW BCI will redefine communication, business and governance, Velco Dar, talked to Noland recently and drew some lines with him. He shared the experience on X, saying he used a computer trackpad to draw on a shared canvas, while Noland controlled the cursor with his brain for the same. "Last week I spoke to Noland Arbaugh @ModdedQuad about his journey & his views on a BCI future. Then we drew some lines together on a shared canvas: him controlling the cursor using his thoughts (via @neuralink ), and me - the old school way, using a computer trackpad," Dar wrote.

Noland Arbaugh was interviewed by entrepreneur and author Velco Dar. Together, they drew on a canvas, with the former using just his mind.

'And their jaws drop...': First Neuralink patient shares how he draws using just his mind

As the ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump to end the Israel-Iran war wobbles, the US is bracing for the fallout of its intervention in the war with B2 bomber strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. There are fears that Iranian operatives could activate sleeper cells in the US, and try to assassinate Trump as well as other senior American officials. This may not be a figment of imagination, as the US justice department and intelligence community had unearthed several allegedly Iran-linked plots to assassinate Trump. For his part, Trump said he had ‘left instructions to obliterate Iran’ if he is assassinated in an Iranian plot. So, how real is the possibility of sleeper cells in Iran wreaking havoc? Here is what we know:<h2>Iran is not a stranger to overseas assassination plots</h2>In the past decades, operatives of the Islamic Republic periodically conducted overseas assassinations, mainly targeting opponents of the regime and adherents and sympathisers of the previous Shah dynasty. In the wake of a Trump-ordered assassination of senior Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020, Iran had vowed revenge. &nbsp;But many of the past Iranian plots had been unsuccessful.&nbsp;&nbsp;Officially, Tehran denies targeting Trump, with the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian&nbsp;saying after Trump's re-election that it respected the American people's verdict.<h2>Worries about Iranian plots to kill Trump are years old</h2>Senior politicians in the US had often raised the possibility that Iran would try to assassinate Trump. Republican leader Ted Cruz, for instance, said on June 18 in an interview with Tucker Carlson: “The Iranian regime has been trying to murder President Trump and other American officials for years. It is one of the most basic facts about the threat they pose to the national security of the United States. And yet, there are people who don't want to act against the Ayatollah [Ali Khamanei, the Iranian supreme leader] - and so they deny the assassination threats over, and over, and over, and over.” Similar apprehensions were expressed by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who claimed in a recent Fox News interview that Iran “actively worked to assassinate” Trump because he is a “forceful and decisive” leader. “They want to kill him. He’s enemy number one.”<h2>Intel points towards Iran proxy sleeper cells, plots to kill US leaders, including Trump</h2>In spite of Iran's denials, there have been several intelligence inputs about Iran-connected plots to kill Trump. It was reported last July, when Trump was the Republican candidate for president, that there were attempts to kill Trump. It emerged that one of his potential assassins at the time, from Florida, had backed Iran in his writings.&nbsp; The Trump campaign said in September last, just two months after the most high-profile failed bid on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, that there were intelligence inputs on “real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him.” <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-iran-war-iran-fires-six-waves-of-missiles-at-israel-1750756866659/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-iran-war-iran-fires-six-waves-of-missiles-at-israel-1750756866659/embed</a>&nbsp;Around that time, Trump himself posted on Truth Social: “Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire US military is watching and waiting. Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again.” The then administration of Democratic president Joe Biden conveyed to Iran that any bid on Trump's life would be considered an act of war and responded to.<h2>An Afghan, a Pakistani among allegedly plotters to kill Trump on behalf of Iran</h2>In September 2024, the US charged Farhad Shakeri, a would-be assassin of Afghan origin, in a plot to allegedly kill Trump. In court documents, it was mentioned that the IRGC was trying to take out American officials, but the operative was later asked to solely focus on Trump.&nbsp;&nbsp;Last August, a Pakistani national, Asif Merchant, was arrested in Texas. Merchant was charged with attempting to kill US leaders or officials, possibly including Trump, under instructions from Iran. A possible assassination bid on Trump linked to Iran, is therefore a clear and present danger for America. That possibility has only increased after he sent B2 bombers to attack Iran's nuclear sites, and claimed that the Operation Midnight Hammer ‘obliterated’ the Iranian nuclear programme.

There are fears that Iranian operatives could activate sleeper cells in the US, and try to assassinate Trump as well as other senior American officials. This may not be a figment of imagination.

As the ceasefire announced by President Donald Trump to end the Israel-Iran war wobbles, the US is bracing for the fallout of its intervention in the war with B2 bomber strikes on Iranian nuclear sites. There are fears that Iranian operatives could activate sleeper cells in the US, and try to assassinate Trump as well as other senior American officials. This may not be a figment of imagination, as the US justice department and intelligence community had unearthed several allegedly Iran-linked plots to assassinate Trump. For his part, Trump said he had ‘left instructions to obliterate Iran’ if he is assassinated in an Iranian plot. So, how real is the possibility of sleeper cells in Iran wreaking havoc? Here is what we know: Iran is not a stranger to overseas assassination plots In the past decades, operatives of the Islamic Republic periodically conducted overseas assassinations, mainly targeting opponents of the regime and adherents and sympathisers of the previous Shah dynasty. In the wake of a Trump-ordered assassination of senior Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps commander Qasem Soleimani in 2020, Iran had vowed revenge. But many of the past Iranian plots had been unsuccessful. Officially, Tehran denies targeting Trump, with the Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian saying after Trump's re-election that it respected the American people's verdict. Worries about Iranian plots to kill Trump are years old Senior politicians in the US had often raised the possibility that Iran would try to assassinate Trump. Republican leader Ted Cruz, for instance, said on June 18 in an interview with Tucker Carlson: “The Iranian regime has been trying to murder President Trump and other American officials for years. It is one of the most basic facts about the threat they pose to the national security of the United States. And yet, there are people who don't want to act against the Ayatollah [Ali Khamanei, the Iranian supreme leader] - and so they deny the assassination threats over, and over, and over, and over.” Similar apprehensions were expressed by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, who claimed in a recent Fox News interview that Iran “actively worked to assassinate” Trump because he is a “forceful and decisive” leader. “They want to kill him. He’s enemy number one.” Intel points towards Iran proxy sleeper cells, plots to kill US leaders, including Trump In spite of Iran's denials, there have been several intelligence inputs about Iran-connected plots to kill Trump. It was reported last July, when Trump was the Republican candidate for president, that there were attempts to kill Trump. It emerged that one of his potential assassins at the time, from Florida, had backed Iran in his writings. The Trump campaign said in September last, just two months after the most high-profile failed bid on his life in Butler, Pennsylvania, that there were intelligence inputs on “real and specific threats from Iran to assassinate him.” https://www.wionews.com/videos/israel-iran-war-iran-fires-six-waves-of-missiles-at-israel-1750756866659/embed Around that time, Trump himself posted on Truth Social: “Big threats on my life by Iran. The entire US military is watching and waiting. Moves were already made by Iran that didn’t work out, but they will try again.” The then administration of Democratic president Joe Biden conveyed to Iran that any bid on Trump's life would be considered an act of war and responded to. An Afghan, a Pakistani among allegedly plotters to kill Trump on behalf of Iran In September 2024, the US charged Farhad Shakeri, a would-be assassin of Afghan origin, in a plot to allegedly kill Trump. In court documents, it was mentioned that the IRGC was trying to take out American officials, but the operative was later asked to solely focus on Trump. Last August, a Pakistani national, Asif Merchant, was arrested in Texas. Merchant was charged with attempting to kill US leaders or officials, possibly including Trump, under instructions from Iran. A possible assassination bid on Trump linked to Iran, is therefore a clear and present danger for America. That possibility has only increased after he sent B2 bombers to attack Iran's nuclear sites, and claimed that the Operation Midnight Hammer ‘obliterated’ the Iranian nuclear programme.

A possible assassination bid on Trump linked to Iran is a clear and present danger for America. That possibility has only increased after he sent B2 bombers to attack Iran.

Trump assassination plots linked to Iran will be an American nightmare again as sleeper cell fears return amid Iran-Israel shaky truce

Doctors in China were shocked to find a toothbrush in the intestine of a 64-year-old man who had swallowed it when he was just 12. It stayed there for 52 years without causing any health issues. However, Yang finally felt some discomfort in the stomach and went to the doctor. They carried out multiple tests and discovered a 17cm toothbrush. Yang told them that he had swallowed it at the age of 12. But he didn't tell his parents because he got scared. Yang assumed it would dissolve on its own. He lived this way for 52 years and had forgotten about it.The doctors noticed that the toothbrush was stuck in his small intestine. They performed an endoscopic surgery and removed it after an 80-minute procedure. The hospital said that it was the longest equipment it had taken out of the human body in the past three years. What's surprising is that the toothbrush remained lodged in one section of the intestines all these years. This is why Yang did not face any health issues.A doctor told SCMP that a toothbrush could rotate, press, and puncture the inner tissue of the intestines. It could cause intestinal perforation and lead to death. However, thankfully, for Yang, it remained lodged in a crook of the intestine and barely moved for decades. This helped him avoid any trouble for 52 years.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/man-tricks-cartier-tiffany-staff-pockets-600-000-worth-of-jewellery-in-new-york-and-korea-1750758323715">Man tricks Cartier, Tiffany staff, pockets $600,000 worth of jewellery in New York and Korea</a>&nbsp;<h2>Social media reacts to toothbrush in intestine</h2>&nbsp;Yang's story has shocked people who can't help but wonder how lucky he is. People are recalling those times they accidentally swallowed things as kids, triggering fear. A user wrote, "It is a miracle that he did not even feel a thing for five decades." Another wondered, "How could he possibly think that the toothbrush will dissolve on its own? adding, "How did he manage to swallow that toothbrush?”Another person added that as a child, he thought he would die when he swallowed a watermelon seed. This is not the first time news of a human swallowing strange things has been reported. In 2024, an Indian man swallowed a bunch of keys, two nail cutters and a knife because his family did not let him play the online game Battlegrounds Mobile India. The items were removed from his stomach in a one and a half hours operation.Last year, a massive hairball, about the size of a cricket ball, was removed from the stomach of an 8-year-old girl in Bengaluru. The hospital said on Wednesday. It was a rare case of trichophagia -- the compulsive habit of eating hair, also known as the Rapunzel syndrome.

For 52 years, Yang faced no health issues because of the toothbrush that he swallowed as a 12 year old. It finally started to wriggle, and that is when he noticed that it was still there. 

Doctors in China were shocked to find a toothbrush in the intestine of a 64-year-old man who had swallowed it when he was just 12. It stayed there for 52 years without causing any health issues. However, Yang finally felt some discomfort in the stomach and went to the doctor. They carried out multiple tests and discovered a 17cm toothbrush. Yang told them that he had swallowed it at the age of 12. But he didn't tell his parents because he got scared. Yang assumed it would dissolve on its own. He lived this way for 52 years and had forgotten about it. The doctors noticed that the toothbrush was stuck in his small intestine. They performed an endoscopic surgery and removed it after an 80-minute procedure. The hospital said that it was the longest equipment it had taken out of the human body in the past three years. What's surprising is that the toothbrush remained lodged in one section of the intestines all these years. This is why Yang did not face any health issues. A doctor told SCMP that a toothbrush could rotate, press, and puncture the inner tissue of the intestines. It could cause intestinal perforation and lead to death. However, thankfully, for Yang, it remained lodged in a crook of the intestine and barely moved for decades. This helped him avoid any trouble for 52 years. Also Read: Man tricks Cartier, Tiffany staff, pockets $600,000 worth of jewellery in New York and Korea Social media reacts to toothbrush in intestine Yang's story has shocked people who can't help but wonder how lucky he is. People are recalling those times they accidentally swallowed things as kids, triggering fear. A user wrote, "It is a miracle that he did not even feel a thing for five decades." Another wondered, "How could he possibly think that the toothbrush will dissolve on its own? adding, "How did he manage to swallow that toothbrush?” Another person added that as a child, he thought he would die when he swallowed a watermelon seed. This is not the first time news of a human swallowing strange things has been reported. In 2024, an Indian man swallowed a bunch of keys, two nail cutters and a knife because his family did not let him play the online game Battlegrounds Mobile India. The items were removed from his stomach in a one and a half hours operation. Last year, a massive hairball, about the size of a cricket ball, was removed from the stomach of an 8-year-old girl in Bengaluru. The hospital said on Wednesday. It was a rare case of trichophagia -- the compulsive habit of eating hair, also known as the Rapunzel syndrome.

For 52 years, Yang faced no health issues because of the toothbrush that he swallowed as a 12-year-old. It finally started to wriggle, and that's when he noticed that it was still there.&nbsp;

Man spends 52 years with toothbrush he swallowed as a kid stuck in intestine

Zohran Mamdani, an Indian-origin mayoral candidate in New York, is all over the internet and is creating buzz among Gen Zs and even Millennials. He is gaining fame on the internet for his progressive candidacy, in which he pushed a bold left-wing agenda and rose from relative obscurity to challenge the high-profile comeback bid of former Governor Andrew Cuomo.&nbsp;The 33-year-old mayoral candidate has promoted himself as a face of the new generation's political views. Zohran has taken a non-traditional approach to his political campaigns as he has been seen talking about the topics that are more aligned with the newest generation. Be it LGBTQ+, women's rights, or taxation, Zohran has used all the platforms on the internet to promote his views and approach to deal with the issues around these topics.&nbsp;Zohran, having origins in India, will be New York's first Muslim and Indian-American mayor, if elected. &nbsp;All thanks to his unconventional approach of reaching out to voters, Zohran is being highly appreciated by the young voters. But he has also received not-so-happy [y response from the city’s influential Jewish electorate because he supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel.&nbsp;Despite a huge campaign to reach out to the voters, Zohran has been unknown to many voters in New York. He released a campaign video saying that “a third of New Yorkers still haven’t heard of us." Recently, Zohran received a standing ovation during a housing rally for his speech. “There is no ideological majority in New York City,” Zohran told the Associated Press. “If you speak to the people directly about issues they care about, such as the sky-high cost of living, you can successfully build a coalition," he added.&nbsp;

Zohran Mamdani, an Indian-origin mayoral candidate in New York, is all over the internet and is creating buzz among Gen Zs and even Millennials. 

Zohran Mamdani, an Indian-origin mayoral candidate in New York, is all over the internet and is creating buzz among Gen Zs and even Millennials. He is gaining fame on the internet for his progressive candidacy, in which he pushed a bold left-wing agenda and rose from relative obscurity to challenge the high-profile comeback bid of former Governor Andrew Cuomo. The 33-year-old mayoral candidate has promoted himself as a face of the new generation's political views. Zohran has taken a non-traditional approach to his political campaigns as he has been seen talking about the topics that are more aligned with the newest generation. Be it LGBTQ+, women's rights, or taxation, Zohran has used all the platforms on the internet to promote his views and approach to deal with the issues around these topics. Zohran, having origins in India, will be New York's first Muslim and Indian-American mayor, if elected. All thanks to his unconventional approach of reaching out to voters, Zohran is being highly appreciated by the young voters. But he has also received not-so-happy [y response from the city’s influential Jewish electorate because he supported the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. Despite a huge campaign to reach out to the voters, Zohran has been unknown to many voters in New York. He released a campaign video saying that “a third of New Yorkers still haven’t heard of us." Recently, Zohran received a standing ovation during a housing rally for his speech. “There is no ideological majority in New York City,” Zohran told the Associated Press. “If you speak to the people directly about issues they care about, such as the sky-high cost of living, you can successfully build a coalition," he added.

Zohran Mamdani, an Indian-origin mayoral candidate in New York, is all over the internet and is creating buzz among Gen Zs and even Millennials.&nbsp;

Zohran Mamdani: NYC mayoral candidate's promises that has created buzz online

Disasters be they natural or human-made can be unpredictable. It can strike without warning and it highlights the importance of always being alert and being prepared with resilience. Various stories of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tycoons, or tsunamis have time and again emphasized how impactful it can be at a large scale affecting the planet. However, one phenomenon termed as 'Exploding lake' which occurred in the 1980s in Cameroon turned into a deadly disaster and gave scientists around the world more insight into this issue.<h2>What is Exploding Lake?</h2>An exploding lake is basically a liminic eruption, a very rare type of natural disaster in which CO2 (Carbon dioxide) suddenly erupts from deep lake water, forming a gas cloud, that is capable of asphyxiating wildlife, livestock, and humans. Such activity that occurs in lakes is referred to as limnically active lakes or exploding lakes.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/explained-what-s-with-the-syringe-attacks-on-public-in-france-f-te-de-la-musique-1750663980821">Explained: What's with the 'syringe attacks' on public in France?</a>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250624/image-1750760424724.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/indian-american-behind-b-2-bomber-s-secretive-masking-exhaust-sold-the-tech-to-china-1750735260293">B-2 bomber's secretive 'masking' exhaust was designed by an Indian-American. He then committed treason</a>&nbsp;In history, two such cases have been observed. The first recorded incident had occurred in Cameroon at Lake Monoun in 1984 which caused asphyxiation and death of 37 people living nearby. While, the second eruption occurred at Lake Nyos in 1986, the deadliest one, killing around 1700 people and 3000 livestock.<h2>The Tragic Tale of Lake Nyos</h2>Lake Nyos is a crater lake in the Northwest region of Cameroon, located in the northwest of Yaoundé, the capital. Nyos is a deep lake on an inactive volcano in the Oku volcanic plain along the Cameroon line of volcanic activity. Basically, a pocket of magma lies beneath the lake and leaks carbon dioxide into the water, changing it into carbonic acid.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/man-tricks-cartier-tiffany-staff-pockets-600-000-worth-of-jewellery-in-new-york-and-korea-1750758323715">Man tricks Cartier, Tiffany staff, pockets $600,000 worth of jewellery</a><figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn1.wionews.com/prod/wion/images/2025/20250624/image-1750760471142.jpg"></figure>&nbsp;In 1986, Lake Nyos emitted a large cloud of carbon dioxide which suffocated more than 1700 people and 3000 livestock in nearby towns and villages. Not only on human beings, the disaster also struck an impact on aquatic life as well, leading to a major loss of biodiversity.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/-ww3-memes-flood-social-media-after-us-strikes-iran-s-nuclear-sites-internet-says-let-ronaldo-win-world-cup-first-1750580953396">‘WW3’ memes flood social media after US strikes Iran’s nuclear sites, Internet says ‘let Ronaldo win World Cup first’</a>&nbsp;As per reports, the lake still poses a threat because of the weakening of the natural wall. In case a tremor happens, it might allow the water to rush into villages and large amounts of carbon dioxide.

Know what is exploding lake is and how it became one of the deadliest phenomena in 1986 in Lake Nyos, in Cameroon.  

Disasters be they natural or human-made can be unpredictable. It can strike without warning and it highlights the importance of always being alert and being prepared with resilience. Various stories of volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tycoons, or tsunamis have time and again emphasized how impactful it can be at a large scale affecting the planet. However, one phenomenon termed as 'Exploding lake' which occurred in the 1980s in Cameroon turned into a deadly disaster and gave scientists around the world more insight into this issue. What is Exploding Lake? An exploding lake is basically a liminic eruption, a very rare type of natural disaster in which CO2 (Carbon dioxide) suddenly erupts from deep lake water, forming a gas cloud, that is capable of asphyxiating wildlife, livestock, and humans. Such activity that occurs in lakes is referred to as limnically active lakes or exploding lakes. Also Read: Explained: What's with the 'syringe attacks' on public in France? Also Read: B-2 bomber's secretive 'masking' exhaust was designed by an Indian-American. He then committed treason In history, two such cases have been observed. The first recorded incident had occurred in Cameroon at Lake Monoun in 1984 which caused asphyxiation and death of 37 people living nearby. While, the second eruption occurred at Lake Nyos in 1986, the deadliest one, killing around 1700 people and 3000 livestock. The Tragic Tale of Lake Nyos Lake Nyos is a crater lake in the Northwest region of Cameroon, located in the northwest of Yaoundé, the capital. Nyos is a deep lake on an inactive volcano in the Oku volcanic plain along the Cameroon line of volcanic activity. Basically, a pocket of magma lies beneath the lake and leaks carbon dioxide into the water, changing it into carbonic acid. Also Read: Man tricks Cartier, Tiffany staff, pockets $600,000 worth of jewellery In 1986, Lake Nyos emitted a large cloud of carbon dioxide which suffocated more than 1700 people and 3000 livestock in nearby towns and villages. Not only on human beings, the disaster also struck an impact on aquatic life as well, leading to a major loss of biodiversity. Also Read: ‘WW3’ memes flood social media after US strikes Iran’s nuclear sites, Internet says ‘let Ronaldo win World Cup first’ As per reports, the lake still poses a threat because of the weakening of the natural wall. In case a tremor happens, it might allow the water to rush into villages and large amounts of carbon dioxide.

Know what is exploding lake is and how it became one of the deadliest phenomena in 1986 in Lake Nyos, in Cameroon. &nbsp;

What is Exploding lake? Know the tragic tale of Lake Nyos

A jewel thief who stole $260,000 in diamonds from Tiffany &amp; Co. and Cartier in a year through trickery has pleaded guilty to the crime in New York. He was wanted by the Interpol for the thefts which he carried out in broad daylight, escaping the sight of everyone present at the stores. Yaorong Wan easily replaced expensive jewellery with fake ones, and pocketed stuff, leaving without ever being noticed. Manhattan District Attorney’s office alleged that the 50-year-old went to Tiffany’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York in March 2024 and switched a diamond ring worth US$225,000 for a fake one. At the Cartier shop in Hudson Yard, he took off with a US$24,000 ring.The DA's office said that Wan has been wanted for a jewellery theft in South Korea. He has also committed similar acts in New Jersey, California and Florida. An Interpol arrest warrant is out in his name. In Korea, he stole $330,000 diamond jewellery. He could be sentenced to nine years in prison next month.“New York is a global fashion capital, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep ‘mom-and-pop shops’ and high-end retailers alike safe,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. Wan's modus operandi was to appear like any other customer. He did not attract any suspicion and acted like he was in the store to buy jewellery. He asked the salespeople to show him things. While they were in the process of picking out items, Wan quickly implemented his plan and switched out a real platinum-mounted ring for a cubic zirconia replica. He quickly left the store without buying anything.At the Cartier shops, he asked the salespeople to show him two engagement rings and two watches, as per DA Bragg. Wan took both the rings in his hands and examined them. While the salesperson was distracted, he slipped one ring into his pocket and returned the other. &nbsp;Tiffany &amp; Co. and Cartier have never commented on the matter, nor have Wan's lawyers spoken.

Yaorong Wan has an Interpol arrest warrant against him for jewellery theft in South Korea. He stole jewellery worth millions from Tiffany and Cartier in New York.

A jewel thief who stole $260,000 in diamonds from Tiffany & Co. and Cartier in a year through trickery has pleaded guilty to the crime in New York. He was wanted by the Interpol for the thefts which he carried out in broad daylight, escaping the sight of everyone present at the stores. Yaorong Wan easily replaced expensive jewellery with fake ones, and pocketed stuff, leaving without ever being noticed. Manhattan District Attorney’s office alleged that the 50-year-old went to Tiffany’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue in New York in March 2024 and switched a diamond ring worth US$225,000 for a fake one. At the Cartier shop in Hudson Yard, he took off with a US$24,000 ring. The DA's office said that Wan has been wanted for a jewellery theft in South Korea. He has also committed similar acts in New Jersey, California and Florida. An Interpol arrest warrant is out in his name. In Korea, he stole $330,000 diamond jewellery. He could be sentenced to nine years in prison next month. “New York is a global fashion capital, and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to keep ‘mom-and-pop shops’ and high-end retailers alike safe,” District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. Wan's modus operandi was to appear like any other customer. He did not attract any suspicion and acted like he was in the store to buy jewellery. He asked the salespeople to show him things. While they were in the process of picking out items, Wan quickly implemented his plan and switched out a real platinum-mounted ring for a cubic zirconia replica. He quickly left the store without buying anything. At the Cartier shops, he asked the salespeople to show him two engagement rings and two watches, as per DA Bragg. Wan took both the rings in his hands and examined them. While the salesperson was distracted, he slipped one ring into his pocket and returned the other. Tiffany & Co. and Cartier have never commented on the matter, nor have Wan's lawyers spoken.

Yaorong Wan has an Interpol arrest warrant against him for jewellery theft in South Korea. He stole jewellery worth millions from Tiffany and Cartier in New York.

Man tricks Cartier, Tiffany staff, pockets $600,000 worth of jewellery in New York and Korea

US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, 12 days into the escalation of the conflict that started on June 13 with Israeli attacks and follow-up US strikes with B2 bombers targeting Iranian nuclear sites. He warned both countries not to violate the truce, but within hours of his social media posts, Iran rained more missiles on Israel, which vowed to respond. Trump appears to have copied Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ended the Operation Sindoor, India's military response to Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack, just three days after it started on May 10. At the time of writing this, the Israel-Iran ceasefire appears to be broken. Did Trump speak too soon? Is the war really over? Why did Trump announce the truce if ground reality hasn't changed? Let's break it down.<h2>How Modi and Trump differed in announcing the ceasefires</h2>Perhaps the most important difference between the end of Operation Sindoor and the truce announcement of Trump is that, India declared that its military objective had been achieved. That objective was to hit hard inside Pakistan's terror infrastructure. The new military doctrine announced by Modi after the end of Operation Sindoor also mentioned that there will be a strong response to any Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India in the future. He made it clear that India will not yield to any nuclear blackmail, with the Indian airstrikes having hit very near the suspected nuclear installations of Pakistan. Modi reasserted his earlier statement in the context of Ukraine-Russia war that this is not an era of war. But he also stressed that this is not an era of terrorism, either.&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/qatar-played-key-role-in-convincing-iran-to-accept-ceasefire-deal-say-diplomats-wion-breaking-1750752379342/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/qatar-played-key-role-in-convincing-iran-to-accept-ceasefire-deal-say-diplomats-wion-breaking-1750752379342/embed</a> But in the case of Trump, there are some key differences. The US is, at best, a ‘third party’ in the war, having joined it in the form of a one-off military strike, the Operation Midnight Hammer, in which B2 bombers attacked some Iranian nuclear sites. However, questions remain on whether the military objectives of the war, either of the US or Israel, have been achieved, given that Iran appears to have moved the near-bomb grade uranium it had enriched up to 60 per cent. That remains a potential threat, as Iran can resume its nuclear programme, this time with an explicit intention of building a bomb.<h2>Trump may have spoken too soon, but why?</h2>One of the reasons why Trump was very quick to announce the ceasefire is domestic politics. Democrats, who were in tatters after the last presidential elections that saw Trump thunder back into power, have now got a rallying point in the form of US intervention in the Iran-Israel war. That is not good for Trump or his Republican Party, some leaders of which are also criticising the US president. Trump's popularity will be put to test in the mid-term elections next November. As a president who got elected for the second non-consecutive term on a promise of ‘no more stupid wars’, the Israel-Iran situation provided Trump with a tough choice. America had to enter the war in order to end it quickly. A long war of attrition was not on the agenda of Trump. But events unfolding on the ground threaten to drag the US into another long-drawn conflict. &nbsp;<h2>Nobel Peace Prize hopes of Trump: A key motivator to end the war?</h2>It is interesting to note that Trump claimed credit, publicly and quite a few times, for the India-Pakistan ceasefire after Operation Sindoor, something India firmly rejected. He has been trying to end the Israel-Hamas war before it escalated into an Iran-Israel war. His efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war haven't been fruitful yet. But Pakistan, quite stupidly, endorsed a nomination for Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Somewhere in his heart, Trump himself probably dreams of such an honour. In reality, despite his acerbic tongue, Trump has made some efforts to end wars. But the belligerents on both sides are frustrating his efforts, particularly in the Ukraine-Russia war.&nbsp; With no more terms left (unless he manages to change the constitution), Trump is looking for a legacy. He probably wants to be known as the peacemaker president. In his first term, he made efforts to bring Israel and its traditional Arab rivals closer through the Abraham Accords. This term, he is trying hard to end American military involvement in foreign wars. But the traditional role of his nation as the global police, and the temptations from the military-industrial complex, are pulling strings elsewhere.&nbsp; While Trump might have tried a touch-and-go type operation against Iran, peace seems to be distant, and at best uneasy. The US might have to bear the consequences of having sided with Israel in the war, the latest example being the attack by Iran on the American airbase in Qatar. In the coming days, Trump would learn if another war in which he got involved, and hoped to resolve, would worsen after his interventions.

The most important difference between the end of Operation Sindoor and the truce announcement of Trump is that, India declared that its military objective had been achieved

US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, 12 days into the escalation of the conflict that started on June 13 with Israeli attacks and follow-up US strikes with B2 bombers targeting Iranian nuclear sites. He warned both countries not to violate the truce, but within hours of his social media posts, Iran rained more missiles on Israel, which vowed to respond. Trump appears to have copied Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who ended the Operation Sindoor, India's military response to Pakistan for the Pahalgam terror attack, just three days after it started on May 10. At the time of writing this, the Israel-Iran ceasefire appears to be broken. Did Trump speak too soon? Is the war really over? Why did Trump announce the truce if ground reality hasn't changed? Let's break it down. How Modi and Trump differed in announcing the ceasefires Perhaps the most important difference between the end of Operation Sindoor and the truce announcement of Trump is that, India declared that its military objective had been achieved. That objective was to hit hard inside Pakistan's terror infrastructure. The new military doctrine announced by Modi after the end of Operation Sindoor also mentioned that there will be a strong response to any Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in India in the future. He made it clear that India will not yield to any nuclear blackmail, with the Indian airstrikes having hit very near the suspected nuclear installations of Pakistan. Modi reasserted his earlier statement in the context of Ukraine-Russia war that this is not an era of war. But he also stressed that this is not an era of terrorism, either. https://www.wionews.com/videos/qatar-played-key-role-in-convincing-iran-to-accept-ceasefire-deal-say-diplomats-wion-breaking-1750752379342/embed But in the case of Trump, there are some key differences. The US is, at best, a ‘third party’ in the war, having joined it in the form of a one-off military strike, the Operation Midnight Hammer, in which B2 bombers attacked some Iranian nuclear sites. However, questions remain on whether the military objectives of the war, either of the US or Israel, have been achieved, given that Iran appears to have moved the near-bomb grade uranium it had enriched up to 60 per cent. That remains a potential threat, as Iran can resume its nuclear programme, this time with an explicit intention of building a bomb. Trump may have spoken too soon, but why? One of the reasons why Trump was very quick to announce the ceasefire is domestic politics. Democrats, who were in tatters after the last presidential elections that saw Trump thunder back into power, have now got a rallying point in the form of US intervention in the Iran-Israel war. That is not good for Trump or his Republican Party, some leaders of which are also criticising the US president. Trump's popularity will be put to test in the mid-term elections next November. As a president who got elected for the second non-consecutive term on a promise of ‘no more stupid wars’, the Israel-Iran situation provided Trump with a tough choice. America had to enter the war in order to end it quickly. A long war of attrition was not on the agenda of Trump. But events unfolding on the ground threaten to drag the US into another long-drawn conflict. Nobel Peace Prize hopes of Trump: A key motivator to end the war? It is interesting to note that Trump claimed credit, publicly and quite a few times, for the India-Pakistan ceasefire after Operation Sindoor, something India firmly rejected. He has been trying to end the Israel-Hamas war before it escalated into an Iran-Israel war. His efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war haven't been fruitful yet. But Pakistan, quite stupidly, endorsed a nomination for Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. Somewhere in his heart, Trump himself probably dreams of such an honour. In reality, despite his acerbic tongue, Trump has made some efforts to end wars. But the belligerents on both sides are frustrating his efforts, particularly in the Ukraine-Russia war. With no more terms left (unless he manages to change the constitution), Trump is looking for a legacy. He probably wants to be known as the peacemaker president. In his first term, he made efforts to bring Israel and its traditional Arab rivals closer through the Abraham Accords. This term, he is trying hard to end American military involvement in foreign wars. But the traditional role of his nation as the global police, and the temptations from the military-industrial complex, are pulling strings elsewhere. While Trump might have tried a touch-and-go type operation against Iran, peace seems to be distant, and at best uneasy. The US might have to bear the consequences of having sided with Israel in the war, the latest example being the attack by Iran on the American airbase in Qatar. In the coming days, Trump would learn if another war in which he got involved, and hoped to resolve, would worsen after his interventions.

In the coming days, Trump would learn if another war in which he got involved and hoped to resolve, would worsen after his interventions.

Trump, dreaming of Nobel Peace Prize, may have copied Modi to end Iran-Israel war quickly, but did he speak too soon?

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has finally taken the first pictures of the universe with the world's most powerful digital camera. The program will take a time-lapse of the universe in 10 years, piecing together fragments of space that have never been seen before. Its first observations within the first few hours of launch are already blowing everyone's minds. In the first 10 hours, the telescope detected 2,104 new asteroids and seven space objects close to Earth. It has taken photos of the Virgo Cluster, a collection of galaxies about 55 million light-years away. The LSST (Legacy Survey of Space and Time) camera took the photo in just 10.5 hours over seven nights. Another photo shows several stars of the Milky Way and also about 10 million other galaxies. Most of these galaxies were observed for the first time. The Rubin Observatory in Chile is the only one that can take such pictures at this scale and so quickly.A spectacular photo captures the Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae approximately 5,000 light-years away for the first time. The picture shows glowing gas and dust, with the Lagoon Nebula making up the most striking part. It is a vibrant stellar nursery 4,000 light-years away, which is churning out new stars. The Rubin Observatory in Chile has also identified 1,800 unknown asteroids and discovered 2,100 new space rocks.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/rubin-telescope-observatory-worlds-most-powerful-telescope-first-pictures-how-to-watch-1750332035701">World's most powerful telescope is about to drop its first pictures</a>&nbsp;Apart from what it has revealed within this short time, what's more exciting are the endless possibilities and so much more that it can reveal in the coming days, weeks, months and years. The next year is expected to throw up some amazing surprises. Scientists expect the Vera C. Rubin Observatory to discover a whopping 5 million asteroids over the next ten years. In comparison, one million asteroids have been discovered in the last 200 years.&nbsp;Vera Rubin will discover ninth planet&nbsp;The most exciting thing that the Rubin Observatory can do in the next one year is discover the ninth planet. Scientists believe there is a planet beyond Neptune, but it has never been discovered. If there is another planet in the solar system, then the Rubin Observatory is most likely to find it. The orbits of planets in the solar system and the way objects in the Kuiper Belt behave have led astronomers to hypothesise that something lies at the very ends.The main objective of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is to create an ultra-HD time-lapse movie of the night sky, which will be called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. It will capture the changes that will occur in space during this time, "not just through static images, but in dynamic evolution." Just like it threw up millions of galaxies humans had never observed before within merely hours, scientists are excited to find out what else it could see in 10 years.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will find the ninth planet of the solar system, if one exists out there. It is also expected to discover a million asteroids in the next 10 years.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory has finally taken the first pictures of the universe with the world's most powerful digital camera. The program will take a time-lapse of the universe in 10 years, piecing together fragments of space that have never been seen before. Its first observations within the first few hours of launch are already blowing everyone's minds. In the first 10 hours, the telescope detected 2,104 new asteroids and seven space objects close to Earth. It has taken photos of the Virgo Cluster, a collection of galaxies about 55 million light-years away. The LSST (Legacy Survey of Space and Time) camera took the photo in just 10.5 hours over seven nights. Another photo shows several stars of the Milky Way and also about 10 million other galaxies. Most of these galaxies were observed for the first time. The Rubin Observatory in Chile is the only one that can take such pictures at this scale and so quickly. A spectacular photo captures the Trifid and Lagoon Nebulae approximately 5,000 light-years away for the first time. The picture shows glowing gas and dust, with the Lagoon Nebula making up the most striking part. It is a vibrant stellar nursery 4,000 light-years away, which is churning out new stars. The Rubin Observatory in Chile has also identified 1,800 unknown asteroids and discovered 2,100 new space rocks. Also Read: World's most powerful telescope is about to drop its first pictures Apart from what it has revealed within this short time, what's more exciting are the endless possibilities and so much more that it can reveal in the coming days, weeks, months and years. The next year is expected to throw up some amazing surprises. Scientists expect the Vera C. Rubin Observatory to discover a whopping 5 million asteroids over the next ten years. In comparison, one million asteroids have been discovered in the last 200 years. Vera Rubin will discover ninth planet The most exciting thing that the Rubin Observatory can do in the next one year is discover the ninth planet. Scientists believe there is a planet beyond Neptune, but it has never been discovered. If there is another planet in the solar system, then the Rubin Observatory is most likely to find it. The orbits of planets in the solar system and the way objects in the Kuiper Belt behave have led astronomers to hypothesise that something lies at the very ends. The main objective of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is to create an ultra-HD time-lapse movie of the night sky, which will be called the Legacy Survey of Space and Time. It will capture the changes that will occur in space during this time, "not just through static images, but in dynamic evolution." Just like it threw up millions of galaxies humans had never observed before within merely hours, scientists are excited to find out what else it could see in 10 years.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will find the ninth planet of the solar system, if one exists out there. It is also expected to discover a million asteroids in the next 10 years.

2,100 asteroids and 7 unknown objects were lurking near Earth. We have only now found them

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are getting married on the private island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. Their wedding is likely to cost $20 million and is scheduled for June 27. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as of 2025, the Amazon founder is the third richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of US$220.9 billion.&nbsp;<h2>What are the assets of Jeff Bezos?</h2>Bezos stepped down from the CEO position of Amazon in 2001, but remains a powerful force through his ownership stake in Amazon. According to a Bloomberg report, Bezos owns 8.6 per cent of Amazon. He also has ownership in Blue Origin and the Washington Post.Moreover, Bezos owns a venture capital firm called Bezos Expeditions to invest in different companies such as Uber, Airbnb, and Business Insider. He also has investments in companies like Twitch, Audible, Zappos, and Remitly, a digital money transfer service.&nbsp;With great money, there is always great opulence. He boasts an extravagant real estate portfolio. This includes properties in Beverly Hills, Medina (Washington), Miami, and Washington D.C., including the former Textile Museum. He also has a superyacht called Koru with an estimated valuation of $500 million. He also has a collection of private jets valued at over US$200 million.&nbsp;Bezos is often described as "a brilliant but mysterious and cold-blooded corporate titan", known for a meticulous, data-driven and quantitative approach to leadership. His fortune continues to grow, driven by Amazon’s performance in cloud computing, AI innovation, and global e-commerce dominance. Despite philanthropic efforts such as the Bezos Earth Fund, his wealth places him consistently among the top 3 richest people on the planet, alongside Elon Musk and Bernard Arnault. However, his recent wedding in Venice had faced severe criticism for being disruptive and worsening the city's ongoing struggle against overtourism.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The world's third-richest man has an impressive portfolio of investments in businesses, real estate, and a luxurious lifestyle with a net worth of US$220.9 billion. 

Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez are getting married on the private island of San Giorgio Maggiore in Venice. Their wedding is likely to cost $20 million and is scheduled for June 27. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, as of 2025, the Amazon founder is the third richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of US$220.9 billion. What are the assets of Jeff Bezos? Bezos stepped down from the CEO position of Amazon in 2001, but remains a powerful force through his ownership stake in Amazon. According to a Bloomberg report, Bezos owns 8.6 per cent of Amazon. He also has ownership in Blue Origin and the Washington Post. Moreover, Bezos owns a venture capital firm called Bezos Expeditions to invest in different companies such as Uber, Airbnb, and Business Insider. He also has investments in companies like Twitch, Audible, Zappos, and Remitly, a digital money transfer service. With great money, there is always great opulence. He boasts an extravagant real estate portfolio. This includes properties in Beverly Hills, Medina (Washington), Miami, and Washington D.C., including the former Textile Museum. He also has a superyacht called Koru with an estimated valuation of $500 million. He also has a collection of private jets valued at over US$200 million. Bezos is often described as "a brilliant but mysterious and cold-blooded corporate titan", known for a meticulous, data-driven and quantitative approach to leadership. His fortune continues to grow, driven by Amazon’s performance in cloud computing, AI innovation, and global e-commerce dominance. Despite philanthropic efforts such as the Bezos Earth Fund, his wealth places him consistently among the top 3 richest people on the planet, alongside Elon Musk and Bernard Arnault. However, his recent wedding in Venice had faced severe criticism for being disruptive and worsening the city's ongoing struggle against overtourism.

The world's third-richest man has an impressive portfolio of investments in businesses, real estate, and a luxurious lifestyle with a net worth of US$220.9 billion.&nbsp;

Jeff Bezos net worth 2025: How rich is Amazon founder?

Iran attacked the Al Udeid Air Base of US in Qatar just hours before a ceasefire was declared with Iran. The attack was unprecedented, the first instance of a military installation in Qatar being targeted in a war. This has made the Indian community in Qatar, the largest expat population of the Arab country, jittery. Are Indians in Qatar safe? How big is the Indian community in Qatar? What is the Indian embassy saying about the current situation? Here is what we know<h2>Indian Embassy's assurance to the Indian community of Qatar</h2>In a post on X, the Indian embassy in Qatar assured the Indian community that the situation &nbsp;is stable and there's no reason for concern. “Indian community in Qatar may note that Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has affirmed that security situation in the country is stable &amp; there is no cause for concern,” it said. “Please follow advice &amp; guidance of local authorities. Our Embassy will open tomorrow for its services as usual,” it added on Tuesday (June 24). In a post earlier, the embassy said: “In view of the ongoing situation, Indian community in Qatar is urged to be cautious and remains indoors. Please remain calm and follow local news, instructions and guidance provided by Qatari authorities. The Embassy will also keep updating through our social media channels.”<h2>Flying has become difficult, but airlines are resuming operations</h2>Since the escalation of the West Asia conflict, particularly after the June 13 airstrikes by Israel, several airlines have periodically reduced or cancelled flights. This included the state-run Qatar Airways, and Indian operators like Air India and IndiGo, who use Qatar airspace, and whose services use the Qatari capital of Doha as a key hub.&nbsp;This has made life difficult for Indians in Qatar who wanted to return. But now, after the ceasefire declaration, things are becoming normal.&nbsp; Qatar Airways said it has reinstated flights after the airspace reopened. “Our focus at this time is to help our passengers return home or reach their onward journey safely and smoothly,” it said in a post on X. “We’ve deployed extra ground staff at Hamad International Airport to support you as we resume operations…Your comfort and safety is our highest priority.” &nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/breaking-sixth-salvo-of-missiles-fired-from-iran-towards-israel-1750745143815/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/breaking-sixth-salvo-of-missiles-fired-from-iran-towards-israel-1750745143815/embed</a><h2>Indians in Qatar are its largest expat community</h2>Indians in Qatar, which includes migrant workers as well as second and third generation Indian-origin people, is the largest expatriate community of the Arab nation. Numbering around&nbsp;830,000, they are nearly 25 per cent of Qatar's total population. &nbsp;The Indian community includes students, doctors, engineers, finance and businesspeople and construction workers. Several Indian schools are catering to the Indian-origin population in Qatar, many of them born in the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The Iranian aistrike on a US airbase in Qatar has made the Indian community in Qatar, the largest expat population of the Arab country, jittery. Are Indians in Qatar safe?

Iran attacked the Al Udeid Air Base of US in Qatar just hours before a ceasefire was declared with Iran. The attack was unprecedented, the first instance of a military installation in Qatar being targeted in a war. This has made the Indian community in Qatar, the largest expat population of the Arab country, jittery. Are Indians in Qatar safe? How big is the Indian community in Qatar? What is the Indian embassy saying about the current situation? Here is what we know Indian Embassy's assurance to the Indian community of Qatar In a post on X, the Indian embassy in Qatar assured the Indian community that the situation is stable and there's no reason for concern. “Indian community in Qatar may note that Qatar’s Ministry of Interior has affirmed that security situation in the country is stable & there is no cause for concern,” it said. “Please follow advice & guidance of local authorities. Our Embassy will open tomorrow for its services as usual,” it added on Tuesday (June 24). In a post earlier, the embassy said: “In view of the ongoing situation, Indian community in Qatar is urged to be cautious and remains indoors. Please remain calm and follow local news, instructions and guidance provided by Qatari authorities. The Embassy will also keep updating through our social media channels.” Flying has become difficult, but airlines are resuming operations Since the escalation of the West Asia conflict, particularly after the June 13 airstrikes by Israel, several airlines have periodically reduced or cancelled flights. This included the state-run Qatar Airways, and Indian operators like Air India and IndiGo, who use Qatar airspace, and whose services use the Qatari capital of Doha as a key hub. This has made life difficult for Indians in Qatar who wanted to return. But now, after the ceasefire declaration, things are becoming normal. Qatar Airways said it has reinstated flights after the airspace reopened. “Our focus at this time is to help our passengers return home or reach their onward journey safely and smoothly,” it said in a post on X. “We’ve deployed extra ground staff at Hamad International Airport to support you as we resume operations…Your comfort and safety is our highest priority.” https://www.wionews.com/videos/breaking-sixth-salvo-of-missiles-fired-from-iran-towards-israel-1750745143815/embed Indians in Qatar are its largest expat community Indians in Qatar, which includes migrant workers as well as second and third generation Indian-origin people, is the largest expatriate community of the Arab nation. Numbering around 830,000, they are nearly 25 per cent of Qatar's total population. The Indian community includes students, doctors, engineers, finance and businesspeople and construction workers. Several Indian schools are catering to the Indian-origin population in Qatar, many of them born in the country.

Iran's air attack on a US airbase in Qatar has made the Indian community in Qatar, the largest expat population of the Arab country, concerned. Are Indians in Qatar safe?

Are Indians in Qatar safe after Iran attacks US airbase amid war with Israel? Here is what we know

In recent development, India extended the closure of the flights operated by Pakistani airlines until July 24, on Monday. The Indian airspace has been closed since April 30 for all the aircraft owned, operated, or leased by Pakistani airlines, including military flights. The step against Pakistan was taken by the government after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people on April 22.According to a report by the news agency PTI, the ban was primarily supposed to end on May 24, but later it was extended till June 24. Similarly, a fresh NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) was issued on Monday, extending the closure to one more month until 24, 2025.The NOTAM confirmed that Indian airspace will be unavailable for Pakistan-registered aircraft and aircraft operated, owned, or leased by Pakistani airlines and operators, along with their military flights. In the meantime, Pakistan has also decided to extend the closure of its airspace for Indian aircraft by another month, until July 24.Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/air-india-suspends-flights-to-west-asia-europe-us-east-coast-till-further-notice-amid-iran-israel-war-1750739170127">Air India suspends flights to West Asia, Europe, US East Coast till further notice amid Iran-Israel war</a>On April 23, a day after the Pahalgam attack, a diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated resulting in announcement of several punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the only operational land border crossing at Attari, and downgrading of diplomatic ties due to cross-border links to the massacre.A day after the Pahalgam attack, India announced several retaliatory measures against Pakistan that include, Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the only operational land border crossing at Attari, and dampening of the diplomatic ties due to the cross-border tensions.<h3>Complexities in aircraft travelling longer durations</h3>As per the Indian Express, both nations will keep their respective airspace, including military flights, till 5:29 am Indian time on July 24. Following the closures, around 800 flights a week of Indian airlines are being affecṭed for the aircraft travelling longer durations due to an increase in fuel burn. It has also come up with a few other complexities related to crew and flight scheduling, as well as an increase in operational costs for the carriers.Flight tracking data indicates that several of Air India’s ultra-long-haul flights to and from North America have been making scheduled technical stops, such as for refuelling or crew changes, at European airports like Vienna and Copenhagen, disrupting what are typically non-stop services. This situation is similar to 2019, when Pakistan shut its airspace after the Indian Air Force’s Balakot strikes, forcing Air India to regularly incorporate mid-journey halts for its North American routes.During that four-month closure of Pakistani airspace in 2019, Indian carriers reportedly incurred losses of nearly Rs 700 crore, largely due to increased fuel consumption and operational challenges arising from longer alternative routes. Air India bore the brunt of the impact, as it operated a larger number of west-bound international flights than other Indian airlines.Now under the Tata Group, Air India is believed to have conveyed to the government that a prolonged Pakistani airspace closure could cost the airline around $600 million annually. Meanwhile, in recent years, other Indian airlines—especially IndiGo—have expanded their international services using narrow-body aircraft to reach various short- and medium-haul destinations. &nbsp;

In a fresh NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), which was issued on Monday, it was announced that closures of airspace were extended to one more month until July 24, 2025. Meanwhile, Pakistan has also decided to extend the closure of its airspace for Indian aircraft.

In recent development, India extended the closure of the flights operated by Pakistani airlines until July 24, on Monday. The Indian airspace has been closed since April 30 for all the aircraft owned, operated, or leased by Pakistani airlines, including military flights. The step against Pakistan was taken by the government after the Pahalgam terror attack that claimed the lives of 26 people on April 22. According to a report by the news agency PTI, the ban was primarily supposed to end on May 24, but later it was extended till June 24. Similarly, a fresh NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) was issued on Monday, extending the closure to one more month until 24, 2025. The NOTAM confirmed that Indian airspace will be unavailable for Pakistan-registered aircraft and aircraft operated, owned, or leased by Pakistani airlines and operators, along with their military flights. In the meantime, Pakistan has also decided to extend the closure of its airspace for Indian aircraft by another month, until July 24. Also read: Air India suspends flights to West Asia, Europe, US East Coast till further notice amid Iran-Israel war On April 23, a day after the Pahalgam attack, a diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated resulting in announcement of several punitive measures against Pakistan, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the only operational land border crossing at Attari, and downgrading of diplomatic ties due to cross-border links to the massacre. A day after the Pahalgam attack, India announced several retaliatory measures against Pakistan that include, Indus Waters Treaty, closure of the only operational land border crossing at Attari, and dampening of the diplomatic ties due to the cross-border tensions. Complexities in aircraft travelling longer durations As per the Indian Express, both nations will keep their respective airspace, including military flights, till 5:29 am Indian time on July 24. Following the closures, around 800 flights a week of Indian airlines are being affecṭed for the aircraft travelling longer durations due to an increase in fuel burn. It has also come up with a few other complexities related to crew and flight scheduling, as well as an increase in operational costs for the carriers. Flight tracking data indicates that several of Air India’s ultra-long-haul flights to and from North America have been making scheduled technical stops, such as for refuelling or crew changes, at European airports like Vienna and Copenhagen, disrupting what are typically non-stop services. This situation is similar to 2019, when Pakistan shut its airspace after the Indian Air Force’s Balakot strikes, forcing Air India to regularly incorporate mid-journey halts for its North American routes. During that four-month closure of Pakistani airspace in 2019, Indian carriers reportedly incurred losses of nearly Rs 700 crore, largely due to increased fuel consumption and operational challenges arising from longer alternative routes. Air India bore the brunt of the impact, as it operated a larger number of west-bound international flights than other Indian airlines. Now under the Tata Group, Air India is believed to have conveyed to the government that a prolonged Pakistani airspace closure could cost the airline around $600 million annually. Meanwhile, in recent years, other Indian airlines—especially IndiGo—have expanded their international services using narrow-body aircraft to reach various short- and medium-haul destinations.

In a fresh NOTAM (Notice to Airmen), which was issued on Monday, it was announced that closures of airspace were extended to one more month until July 24, 2025. Meanwhile, Pakistan has also decided to extend the closure of its airspace for Indian aircraft.

India, Pakistan extends airspace ban till this date: Here's why it was done thrice

Iran launched a missile attack on a US air base in Qatar on Monday night (June 24), just hours before President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Tehran and Israel. The Iranian attack, in response to the bombardment of its nuclear facilities by Israel and the US, suddenly threw the small nation of Qatar into focus. The constitutional monarchy with a large Indian population, Qatar, reportedly played a role in bringing about the latest ceasefire. However, it's nothing new for the Arab nation, which has been a regional peace broker for years now. Here is what you should know about Qatar, and why it has such significant influence in the region, far above its size.<h2>Where is Qatar?</h2>Qatar is a small country in West Asia on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Located in the Qatar Peninsula, Qatar's only land border is with Saudi Arabia, the larger nation which held influence over its tiny neighbour till much of 20th century before relations soured. Qatar is only 11,571 square kilometres in size, slightly less than the US state of Connecticut. Sandwiched between the arid Arab desert and a shoreline of beaches and dunes, Qatar is a country rich in resources, particularly natural gas. In terms of per capita income, Qatar is often listed among the wealthiest countries. It is one of the biggest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG).<h2>88 per cent of people in Qatar are foreigners, most from India</h2>Qatar, a Sunni-majority nation, has a population of just over 3.1 million, much smaller compared to the largest in the region, Saudi Arabia, which has 36 million people. Nearly 88 per cent of the Qatari population is of foreign origin. Indians are the largest expat population, comprising of nearly 22 per cent of the foreigners. There are some 830,000 Indians, working as doctors, engineers, teachers, businesspeople and blue-collar workers.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/iran-launches-annunciation-of-victory-operation-iran-strikes-us-al-udeid-air-base-in-qatar-1750740709101/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/iran-launches-annunciation-of-victory-operation-iran-strikes-us-al-udeid-air-base-in-qatar-1750740709101/embed</a><h2>How Qatar's influence grew as a mediator in conflicts</h2>Qatar had an important, albeit understated, role in global affairs since the late 20th century under former emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Qatar had close relations with the US, which built the Al Udeid Air Base in the Arab country in 1996. The base, attacked by Iran on Monday (June 24), is the forward headquarters for US Central Command or CENTCOM, which directs American military operations in the region that includes Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east.&nbsp; Under the current emir, Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani, who assumed the throne in 2013, Qatar emerged as a key nation for mediating global conflicts. In the past two decades, Qatar has mediated in, or hosted mediations of, several high-profile wars. These include the long-standing US-Taliban conflict that ended in the American troop exit from the South Asian nation after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Qatar was a key player in hostage and prisoner swap mediations between Ukraine and Russia in the ongoing war. Even before the 2023 October 7 terror attack that led to the Israel-Hamas war, Qatar has been mediating between the Jewish nation and the Palestinian militant organisation, which had its political headquarters in Doha, the Qatari capital. Qatar also mediated in releasing several of the Israeli hostages taken to Gaza by Hamas after the 2023 attack. &nbsp;Qatar was a mediator in conflicts and crises in Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq too.<h2>But, clout-building also had its cost for Qatar</h2>But exerting such outsized influence had its cost for Qatar, particularly in the form of diplomatic tussles and even a boycott by fellow Arab nations, led by Saudi Arabia. Qatar was influenced by Saudi Arabia till 1990s, which often treated it like a vassal state. &nbsp;But mediation in conflicts improved its global standing. It was also a strategy to protect the country from foreign interventions, particularly from larger neighbours Saudi and UAE. This race for influence led to a crisis in 2017, when fellow Arab nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council announced a boycott of Qatar. That boycott, wherein Saudi, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE accused Qatar of supporting terrorism, went on till 2021. Qatari aircraft and ships were blocked from the territory of these countries, and Saudi Arabia closed the only land border between the two nations. Many exports into the country from these neighbours were halted, including even essential goods.<h2>Al Jazeera network: A multiplier of Qatari influence that fell out of favour in the region</h2>The Al Jazeera TV network, founded in 1996 with funding from the state of Qatar, was one major step in the nation's path towards building its influence in the region and the world. Ten years later, it launched Al Jazeera English, which spoke to a global audience. Oddly enough, the channel, unlike the reality of Qatar as an absolute constitutional monarchy, became the voice of democracy in many countries in the region and outside. Of particular importance was how its journalism supported many anti-establishment movements during the Arab Spring of 2010-2012.&nbsp; Qatar faced allegations of supporting what many in the region felt were US intelligence-supported, orchestrated regime changes. &nbsp;The diplomatic boycott was among the results of those tensions. Qatar was accused of interfering in the internal affairs of other nations, often using Al Jazeera as a tool to amplify its views. It was also criticised for maintaining relations with Iran, the Shia power of the region. In Egypt, Qatar supported the elected government of Muslim Brotherhood in the wake of the Arab Spring, but UAE backed the regime led by military leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. That became one of the immediate triggers for the diplomatic boycott.&nbsp;&nbsp;The attack on the US air base hosted by Qatar is the first instance of Qatar directly coming under fire in a raging war in the region. It possibly reflects the reality that the nation may not be immune to future conflicts even if it has the military presence of the most powerful nation in the world.

Exerting an outsized influence had its cost for Qatar, particularly in the form of diplomatic tussles and even a boycott by fellow Arab nations, led by Saudi Arabia. Iran attack on the US air base hosted by it is the latest instance.

Iran launched a missile attack on a US air base in Qatar on Monday night (June 24), just hours before President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Tehran and Israel. The Iranian attack, in response to the bombardment of its nuclear facilities by Israel and the US, suddenly threw the small nation of Qatar into focus. The constitutional monarchy with a large Indian population, Qatar, reportedly played a role in bringing about the latest ceasefire. However, it's nothing new for the Arab nation, which has been a regional peace broker for years now. Here is what you should know about Qatar, and why it has such significant influence in the region, far above its size. Where is Qatar? Qatar is a small country in West Asia on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Located in the Qatar Peninsula, Qatar's only land border is with Saudi Arabia, the larger nation which held influence over its tiny neighbour till much of 20th century before relations soured. Qatar is only 11,571 square kilometres in size, slightly less than the US state of Connecticut. Sandwiched between the arid Arab desert and a shoreline of beaches and dunes, Qatar is a country rich in resources, particularly natural gas. In terms of per capita income, Qatar is often listed among the wealthiest countries. It is one of the biggest exporters of liquefied natural gas (LNG). 88 per cent of people in Qatar are foreigners, most from India Qatar, a Sunni-majority nation, has a population of just over 3.1 million, much smaller compared to the largest in the region, Saudi Arabia, which has 36 million people. Nearly 88 per cent of the Qatari population is of foreign origin. Indians are the largest expat population, comprising of nearly 22 per cent of the foreigners. There are some 830,000 Indians, working as doctors, engineers, teachers, businesspeople and blue-collar workers. https://www.wionews.com/videos/iran-launches-annunciation-of-victory-operation-iran-strikes-us-al-udeid-air-base-in-qatar-1750740709101/embed How Qatar's influence grew as a mediator in conflicts Qatar had an important, albeit understated, role in global affairs since the late 20th century under former emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Qatar had close relations with the US, which built the Al Udeid Air Base in the Arab country in 1996. The base, attacked by Iran on Monday (June 24), is the forward headquarters for US Central Command or CENTCOM, which directs American military operations in the region that includes Egypt in the west to Kazakhstan in the east. Under the current emir, Sheikh Tamim ibn Hamad Al Thani, who assumed the throne in 2013, Qatar emerged as a key nation for mediating global conflicts. In the past two decades, Qatar has mediated in, or hosted mediations of, several high-profile wars. These include the long-standing US-Taliban conflict that ended in the American troop exit from the South Asian nation after the Taliban takeover in 2021. Qatar was a key player in hostage and prisoner swap mediations between Ukraine and Russia in the ongoing war. Even before the 2023 October 7 terror attack that led to the Israel-Hamas war, Qatar has been mediating between the Jewish nation and the Palestinian militant organisation, which had its political headquarters in Doha, the Qatari capital. Qatar also mediated in releasing several of the Israeli hostages taken to Gaza by Hamas after the 2023 attack. Qatar was a mediator in conflicts and crises in Sudan, Lebanon, Yemen and Iraq too. But, clout-building also had its cost for Qatar But exerting such outsized influence had its cost for Qatar, particularly in the form of diplomatic tussles and even a boycott by fellow Arab nations, led by Saudi Arabia. Qatar was influenced by Saudi Arabia till 1990s, which often treated it like a vassal state. But mediation in conflicts improved its global standing. It was also a strategy to protect the country from foreign interventions, particularly from larger neighbours Saudi and UAE. This race for influence led to a crisis in 2017, when fellow Arab nations in the Gulf Cooperation Council announced a boycott of Qatar. That boycott, wherein Saudi, Bahrain, Egypt and the UAE accused Qatar of supporting terrorism, went on till 2021. Qatari aircraft and ships were blocked from the territory of these countries, and Saudi Arabia closed the only land border between the two nations. Many exports into the country from these neighbours were halted, including even essential goods. Al Jazeera network: A multiplier of Qatari influence that fell out of favour in the region The Al Jazeera TV network, founded in 1996 with funding from the state of Qatar, was one major step in the nation's path towards building its influence in the region and the world. Ten years later, it launched Al Jazeera English, which spoke to a global audience. Oddly enough, the channel, unlike the reality of Qatar as an absolute constitutional monarchy, became the voice of democracy in many countries in the region and outside. Of particular importance was how its journalism supported many anti-establishment movements during the Arab Spring of 2010-2012. Qatar faced allegations of supporting what many in the region felt were US intelligence-supported, orchestrated regime changes. The diplomatic boycott was among the results of those tensions. Qatar was accused of interfering in the internal affairs of other nations, often using Al Jazeera as a tool to amplify its views. It was also criticised for maintaining relations with Iran, the Shia power of the region. In Egypt, Qatar supported the elected government of Muslim Brotherhood in the wake of the Arab Spring, but UAE backed the regime led by military leader Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. That became one of the immediate triggers for the diplomatic boycott. The attack on the US air base hosted by Qatar is the first instance of Qatar directly coming under fire in a raging war in the region. It possibly reflects the reality that the nation may not be immune to future conflicts even if it has the military presence of the most powerful nation in the world.

Qatar has been a regional peace broker for years now, but its clout is not well-liked by bigger neighours. The attack on the US air base hosted by Qatar is the first instance of Qatar directly coming under fire in a raging war in the region.

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