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President Donald Trump said the United States should never have handed control of the Panama Canal to Panama, accusing the country of sharply increasing transit fees after the transfer and warning that Washington would not allow China to gain influence over the strategic waterway.&nbsp;Speaking at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora on Wednesday (local time), Trump criticised the decision to transfer the canal and said the United States would resist any Chinese attempt to control it.&nbsp;"The Panama Canal, so we gave it away. The first thing they did, you know what they did? They raised the prices for the ships by four times, and they didn't lose one ship. And then they raised it again twice, and they didn't lose one ship. All they did was make tremendous amounts of money for years and years. How stupid was that?" Trump said.&nbsp;"And now China's trying to take over the Panama Canal, and we're not going to let that happen, okay? And that was not part of the script because I don't really have a script because this thing doesn't work," he added.&nbsp;Trump's remarks referred to the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, under which the United States agreed to transfer control of the Panama Canal. The handover was completed in 1999 after the United States, which built the canal in 1914, transferred full control of the strategic waterway to Panama.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/forever-capital-of-the-jewish-people-us-signs-agreement-to-build-permanent-embassy-in-jerusalem-1782951822215">'Forever capital of the Jewish people': US signs agreement to build permanent embassy in Jerusalem</a><h2>Why is the Panama Canal important?</h2>The Panama Canal is one of the world's busiest and most strategically important shipping routes. Around 5 per cent of global maritime trade passes through the canal each year, carrying roughly $270 billion worth of cargo. It also handles about 40 per cent of US container traffic.&nbsp;Stretching about 82 kilometres, or 51 miles, across Panama, the canal links the Caribbean Sea on the Atlantic side with the Pacific Ocean. It runs from Colón through Gatun Lake and the Gaillard Cut before reaching Panama City.&nbsp;Before the canal was built, ships travelling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans had to sail around South America through the Strait of Magellan or Cape Horn, adding thousands of miles to the journey. The canal dramatically cuts travel time, reducing the distance between New York and San Francisco by about 8,000 miles.

The Panama Canal carries about 40 per cent of US container traffic and around 5 per cent of global maritime trade each year, transporting roughly $270 billion worth of cargo.

President Donald Trump said the United States should never have handed control of the Panama Canal to Panama, accusing the country of sharply increasing transit fees after the transfer and warning that Washington would not allow China to gain influence over the strategic waterway. Speaking at the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in Medora on Wednesday (local time), Trump criticised the decision to transfer the canal and said the United States would resist any Chinese attempt to control it. "The Panama Canal, so we gave it away. The first thing they did, you know what they did? They raised the prices for the ships by four times, and they didn't lose one ship. And then they raised it again twice, and they didn't lose one ship. All they did was make tremendous amounts of money for years and years. How stupid was that?" Trump said. "And now China's trying to take over the Panama Canal, and we're not going to let that happen, okay? And that was not part of the script because I don't really have a script because this thing doesn't work," he added. Trump's remarks referred to the 1977 Torrijos-Carter Treaties, under which the United States agreed to transfer control of the Panama Canal. The handover was completed in 1999 after the United States, which built the canal in 1914, transferred full control of the strategic waterway to Panama. Also Read: 'Forever capital of the Jewish people': US signs agreement to build permanent embassy in Jerusalem Why is the Panama Canal important? The Panama Canal is one of the world's busiest and most strategically important shipping routes. Around 5 per cent of global maritime trade passes through the canal each year, carrying roughly $270 billion worth of cargo. It also handles about 40 per cent of US container traffic. Stretching about 82 kilometres, or 51 miles, across Panama, the canal links the Caribbean Sea on the Atlantic side with the Pacific Ocean. It runs from Colón through Gatun Lake and the Gaillard Cut before reaching Panama City. Before the canal was built, ships travelling between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans had to sail around South America through the Strait of Magellan or Cape Horn, adding thousands of miles to the journey. The canal dramatically cuts travel time, reducing the distance between New York and San Francisco by about 8,000 miles.

The Panama Canal carries about 40 per cent of US container traffic and around 5 per cent of global maritime trade each year, transporting roughly $270 billion worth of cargo.

Trump says US won't let China control Panama Canal; why the waterway matters

The United States on Wednesday (July 01) signed an agreement to build a permanent embassy compound in Jerusalem, with Israel calling the move another sign of the "unbreakable alliance" between the two countries. The new diplomatic complex will be built at the Allenby compound in southern Jerusalem.&nbsp;Speaking at the signing ceremony at Israel's foreign ministry, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said Washington "recognises Jerusalem as the eternal, indigenous, and forever capital of the Jewish people".&nbsp;Huckabee said the United States was making a lasting commitment to its diplomatic presence in Israel.&nbsp;"We are going to plant our flag, our American flag, on the soil of Jerusalem for a permanent and brand new embassy compound that will serve as our mothership of diplomatic activities here in Israel," he said.&nbsp;"I would say God made that decision 3,800 years ago, and we finally got around to acknowledging what had been determined long before the United States of America came along."&nbsp;Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the agreement to construct a permanent US embassy in Jerusalem further strengthened ties between the two allies.&nbsp;"President Trump's historic decision in 2017 to move the embassy to Jerusalem set the record straight," Saar said.&nbsp;“And today, with the agreement to begin building a permanent embassy complex, that decision becomes even deeper and more enduring.”&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-tariff-blow-trump-refuses-to-extend-us-trade-pact-with-canada-and-mexico-he-negotiated-in-first-term-1782936096825">After tariff blow, Trump refuses to extend US trade pact with Canada and Mexico he negotiated in first term</a>&nbsp;The agreement follows President Donald Trump's decision during his first term to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017 and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv.&nbsp;The US went ahead with the plan even though Palestinians continue to seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Because of these competing claims, most countries have kept their embassies in Tel Aviv, maintaining that Jerusalem's final status should be settled through peace negotiations in line with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.&nbsp;The agreement also comes after reports of differences between the United States and Israel over Israeli military strikes in Lebanon, which raised concerns about reigniting the conflict with Iran.&nbsp;&nbsp;The development follows the recent US and Israeli military campaign against Iran that ended with a ceasefire, despite signs of friction between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over how the conflict should conclude.

The agreement comes years after President Donald Trump recognised Jerusalem as Israel's capital during his first term and shifted the US embassy from Tel Aviv in 2017.

The United States on Wednesday (July 01) signed an agreement to build a permanent embassy compound in Jerusalem, with Israel calling the move another sign of the "unbreakable alliance" between the two countries. The new diplomatic complex will be built at the Allenby compound in southern Jerusalem. Speaking at the signing ceremony at Israel's foreign ministry, US Ambassador Mike Huckabee said Washington "recognises Jerusalem as the eternal, indigenous, and forever capital of the Jewish people". Huckabee said the United States was making a lasting commitment to its diplomatic presence in Israel. "We are going to plant our flag, our American flag, on the soil of Jerusalem for a permanent and brand new embassy compound that will serve as our mothership of diplomatic activities here in Israel," he said. "I would say God made that decision 3,800 years ago, and we finally got around to acknowledging what had been determined long before the United States of America came along." Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said the agreement to construct a permanent US embassy in Jerusalem further strengthened ties between the two allies. "President Trump's historic decision in 2017 to move the embassy to Jerusalem set the record straight," Saar said. “And today, with the agreement to begin building a permanent embassy complex, that decision becomes even deeper and more enduring.” Also Read: After tariff blow, Trump refuses to extend US trade pact with Canada and Mexico he negotiated in first term The agreement follows President Donald Trump's decision during his first term to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in December 2017 and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv. The US went ahead with the plan even though Palestinians continue to seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. Because of these competing claims, most countries have kept their embassies in Tel Aviv, maintaining that Jerusalem's final status should be settled through peace negotiations in line with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions. The agreement also comes after reports of differences between the United States and Israel over Israeli military strikes in Lebanon, which raised concerns about reigniting the conflict with Iran. The development follows the recent US and Israeli military campaign against Iran that ended with a ceasefire, despite signs of friction between President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over how the conflict should conclude.

The move builds on President Donald Trump's decision during his first term to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017 and relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv.

'Forever capital of the Jewish people': US signs agreement to build permanent embassy in Jerusalem

There are currently more than 14,000 satellites orbiting the Earth. That number, already unprecedented in the history of spaceflight, is set to grow by a factor of more than a hundred. Companies have proposed launching an additional 1.7 million satellites into low-Earth orbit in the coming years — a figure that a new peer-reviewed study by the European Southern Observatory says would have devastating consequences for astronomy, potentially blinding the world's most powerful telescopes and permanently altering the night sky as humanity has known it for millennia.&nbsp;The Numbers Behind The Crisis&nbsp;SpaceX is the largest single driver of the problem. The company, which already operates thousands of Starlink satellites for internet connectivity, has filed plans with regulators to launch more than one million additional satellites — a proposed constellation described as a space-based data centre network. E-Space, a satellite startup, has proposed the Cinnamon constellation of hundreds of thousands of additional craft. China has two planned constellations, CTC-1 and CTC-2, that would add hundreds of thousands more. Perhaps most alarming to astronomers is Reflect Orbital, which has proposed 50,000 mirror-like satellites specifically designed to reflect sunlight back toward Earth at night — a commercial idea that would, as a side effect, make the night sky dramatically brighter for everyone on the planet.&nbsp;What A ‘Safe’ Number Actually Looks Like&nbsp;The ESO study, led by Olivier Hainaut — an astronomer with more than thirty years of experience at the observatory — modelled the impact of different satellite population scenarios on ground-based telescopes. His conclusion: no more than 100,000 satellites, all dimmer than naked-eye visibility at apparent magnitude 7 or fainter, could be accommodated without causing severe harm to astronomical observations. That figure — 100,000 — sounds large. Against a proposed total of 1.7 million, it is a ceiling that would be exceeded more than seventeen times over. The study has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy &amp; Astrophysics.&nbsp;What Happens To Our Best Telescopes&nbsp;The study ran detailed simulations of what 1.7 million satellites would mean for specific observatories. The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope — currently one of the most powerful optical telescopes on the planet — would lose up to 28 percent of its imaging capability to satellite trails, bright streaks caused by sunlight reflecting off satellite bodies passing through the telescope's field of view. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which is designed to survey the entire southern sky and is central to current plans for detecting near-Earth asteroids, would have most of its images rendered unusable for several hours every night during twilight periods when satellites catch sunlight while the sky is dark. The potential to detect hazardous asteroids — rocks that could threaten Earth — would be directly compromised.&nbsp;Mirror Satellites: A Step Further&nbsp;The Reflect Orbital proposal represents a qualitatively different threat from conventional satellite constellations. Where standard satellites leave bright trails across telescope images, 50,000 mirror-like craft designed to reflect sunlight would do something more fundamental: they would increase the overall brightness of the night sky by three to four times its current level. This is not a problem that can be solved by scheduling observations around satellite passes. A sky that is three to four times brighter at baseline means fainter objects — distant galaxies, faint exoplanets, the most ancient light in the universe — simply cannot be detected from the ground at all, regardless of how advanced the telescope. The FCC has received more than 1,500 formal comments on the Reflect Orbital application, the vast majority from the scientific community.&nbsp;Regulators Are Still Catching Up&nbsp;The FCC is currently reviewing both SpaceX's expanded Starlink application and the Reflect Orbital proposal, and has received more than 1,800 and 1,500 comments respectively. International bodies including the International Astronomical Union have called for binding regulations on satellite brightness, mandatory mitigation measures, and caps on total constellation sizes. So far, no binding global framework exists. Satellite operators are largely self-regulating, and the commercial incentives to launch more satellites — for internet coverage, data infrastructure, and the novel reflective-satellite business models — continue to drive expansion faster than regulatory responses can track.&nbsp;Astronomy's Last Warning&nbsp;Olivier Hainaut has described the current trajectory as a genuine point of no return for astronomy. Once 1.7 million satellites are in orbit — a process that, if current regulatory approvals continue, could unfold over the next decade — the damage to ground-based observation cannot be undone. The satellites will not be recalled. The night sky, once a commons shared by every human civilisation that has ever existed, will have been permanently altered by commercial decisions made by a handful of companies and approved by a single national regulator. The question, as Hainaut and his colleagues frame it, is not whether astronomy can adapt to some satellites. It is whether anyone with the authority to act will do so before the number crosses the threshold from manageable to catastrophic.

A new ESO study warns that 1.7 million proposed satellites — led by SpaceX's 1 million Starlink plan — would devastate ground-based astronomy, blinding major telescopes and brightening the night sky 4x.

There are currently more than 14,000 satellites orbiting the Earth. That number, already unprecedented in the history of spaceflight, is set to grow by a factor of more than a hundred. Companies have proposed launching an additional 1.7 million satellites into low-Earth orbit in the coming years — a figure that a new peer-reviewed study by the European Southern Observatory says would have devastating consequences for astronomy, potentially blinding the world's most powerful telescopes and permanently altering the night sky as humanity has known it for millennia. The Numbers Behind The Crisis SpaceX is the largest single driver of the problem. The company, which already operates thousands of Starlink satellites for internet connectivity, has filed plans with regulators to launch more than one million additional satellites — a proposed constellation described as a space-based data centre network. E-Space, a satellite startup, has proposed the Cinnamon constellation of hundreds of thousands of additional craft. China has two planned constellations, CTC-1 and CTC-2, that would add hundreds of thousands more. Perhaps most alarming to astronomers is Reflect Orbital, which has proposed 50,000 mirror-like satellites specifically designed to reflect sunlight back toward Earth at night — a commercial idea that would, as a side effect, make the night sky dramatically brighter for everyone on the planet. What A ‘Safe’ Number Actually Looks Like The ESO study, led by Olivier Hainaut — an astronomer with more than thirty years of experience at the observatory — modelled the impact of different satellite population scenarios on ground-based telescopes. His conclusion: no more than 100,000 satellites, all dimmer than naked-eye visibility at apparent magnitude 7 or fainter, could be accommodated without causing severe harm to astronomical observations. That figure — 100,000 — sounds large. Against a proposed total of 1.7 million, it is a ceiling that would be exceeded more than seventeen times over. The study has been accepted for publication in the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics. What Happens To Our Best Telescopes The study ran detailed simulations of what 1.7 million satellites would mean for specific observatories. The European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope — currently one of the most powerful optical telescopes on the planet — would lose up to 28 percent of its imaging capability to satellite trails, bright streaks caused by sunlight reflecting off satellite bodies passing through the telescope's field of view. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which is designed to survey the entire southern sky and is central to current plans for detecting near-Earth asteroids, would have most of its images rendered unusable for several hours every night during twilight periods when satellites catch sunlight while the sky is dark. The potential to detect hazardous asteroids — rocks that could threaten Earth — would be directly compromised. Mirror Satellites: A Step Further The Reflect Orbital proposal represents a qualitatively different threat from conventional satellite constellations. Where standard satellites leave bright trails across telescope images, 50,000 mirror-like craft designed to reflect sunlight would do something more fundamental: they would increase the overall brightness of the night sky by three to four times its current level. This is not a problem that can be solved by scheduling observations around satellite passes. A sky that is three to four times brighter at baseline means fainter objects — distant galaxies, faint exoplanets, the most ancient light in the universe — simply cannot be detected from the ground at all, regardless of how advanced the telescope. The FCC has received more than 1,500 formal comments on the Reflect Orbital application, the vast majority from the scientific community. Regulators Are Still Catching Up The FCC is currently reviewing both SpaceX's expanded Starlink application and the Reflect Orbital proposal, and has received more than 1,800 and 1,500 comments respectively. International bodies including the International Astronomical Union have called for binding regulations on satellite brightness, mandatory mitigation measures, and caps on total constellation sizes. So far, no binding global framework exists. Satellite operators are largely self-regulating, and the commercial incentives to launch more satellites — for internet coverage, data infrastructure, and the novel reflective-satellite business models — continue to drive expansion faster than regulatory responses can track. Astronomy's Last Warning Olivier Hainaut has described the current trajectory as a genuine point of no return for astronomy. Once 1.7 million satellites are in orbit — a process that, if current regulatory approvals continue, could unfold over the next decade — the damage to ground-based observation cannot be undone. The satellites will not be recalled. The night sky, once a commons shared by every human civilisation that has ever existed, will have been permanently altered by commercial decisions made by a handful of companies and approved by a single national regulator. The question, as Hainaut and his colleagues frame it, is not whether astronomy can adapt to some satellites. It is whether anyone with the authority to act will do so before the number crosses the threshold from manageable to catastrophic.

A peer-reviewed study by the European Southern Observatory has found that plans to launch 1.7 million satellites into low-Earth orbit would have devastating consequences for ground-based astronomy, brightening the night sky up to four times and rendering the world's most powerful telescopes effectively blind for hours every night. SpaceX alone plans to launch more than one million Starlink satellites. Astronomers are calling it a point of no return.

1.7 million satellites could end astronomy as we know it and SpaceX is leading the charge

When a star dies, it does not go quietly. A Sun-like star in its final phase swells into a red giant, expanding to hundreds of times its original size and incinerating everything in its inner system. Then it sheds its outer layers entirely, leaving behind a white dwarf — a dense, Earth-sized remnant of the original star, cooling slowly over billions of years. Any planet that was close enough to be engulfed by the red giant is gone. The conventional wisdom was that whatever survived a star's death must have been far enough away to escape that expansion. Then astronomers found WD 1856b — a planet as large as Jupiter, orbiting its dead white dwarf host every 34 hours at a distance of less than three million kilometres — and the conventional wisdom needed revising.&nbsp;The Planet That Should Not Be Where It Is&nbsp;WD 1856b was first detected in 2020 using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Even then, the discovery was deeply puzzling. The planet is enormous — between four and eleven times the mass of Jupiter, with a radius roughly eight times that of its white dwarf host, which is only about the size of Earth. When it transits in front of the dead star, it blocks a staggering 56 percent of the star's light — one of the highest transit depths ever recorded. And it is orbiting at an extraordinarily tight distance: less than three million kilometres from the white dwarf, completing a full orbit in just 1.4 days. The immediate question was how a planet that large could be orbiting that close to a star that had, billions of years ago, expanded into a red giant large enough to have destroyed anything in that region.&nbsp;James Webb Telescope Finds The Answer&nbsp;A new study published in the journal Nature on July 1, 2026 has used the James Webb Space Telescope to analyse WD 1856b's atmosphere for the first time, providing the data needed to finally understand the planet's history. The research team, led by Christopher O'Connor of Northwestern University's Centre for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics and Ryan J. MacDonald of the University of St Andrews in Scotland, found that WD 1856b's atmospheric chemistry, mass, and thermal properties tell a specific story — one that was not what most astronomers expected.&nbsp;It Did Not Survive The Red Giant. It Arrived Later&nbsp;The key finding of the 2026 study overturns the most intuitive explanation for WD 1856b's presence. The planet did not survive the red giant phase by being close to the star. It was not there during the red giant phase at all. Instead, WD 1856b originally orbited its host star from a much greater distance — far enough to be safe when the star expanded and died. It was only afterwards, between three and five and a half billion years after the white dwarf formed, that the planet gradually migrated inward to its current orbit through gravitational interactions with other objects in the system. The planet did not outlast the star's death. It moved in after the worst was already over.&nbsp;Tidal Heating Explains The Temperature Mystery&nbsp;One of the clues that pointed researchers toward the migration theory is WD 1856b's temperature. The planet registers at around 400 Kelvin — warmer than it should be given its distance from a cooling white dwarf that generates very little heat. The explanation lies in the physics of orbital migration: as the planet spiralled inward over billions of years, tidal forces — the same gravitational stretching that makes Earth's oceans bulge toward the Moon — generated heat inside the planet's interior. That residual tidal heating is still warming WD 1856b today, producing a thermal signature that the James Webb Space Telescope could detect and that matched the migration timeline.&nbsp;What It Means For Our Solar System's Future&nbsp;The Sun will run out of fuel and begin its red giant phase in approximately five billion years. When it does, Mercury, Venus, and Earth will almost certainly be consumed. Jupiter and Saturn, orbiting much farther out, will likely survive the expansion. What WD 1856b demonstrates is what could happen next: after the Sun collapses into a white dwarf, the surviving outer planets may not simply continue orbiting as they do today. Gravitational dynamics could cause them to migrate inward over billions of subsequent years, eventually ending up in orbits far closer to the white dwarf remnant than they occupy today — just as WD 1856b did. The solar system's final chapter, it turns out, may look considerably more eventful than a quiet slow cooling.&nbsp;A New Window Into Dead Star Systems&nbsp;Beyond the fate of our own solar system, WD 1856b matters because it is the first confirmed giant planet orbiting a white dwarf for which a detailed atmospheric and thermal analysis has been possible. White dwarfs are abundant — the vast majority of Sun-like stars in the galaxy will eventually become them — but the planetary systems surrounding them have been difficult to study. WD 1856b, at 80 light-years from Earth and with its dramatic 56-percent transit depth, offers the clearest view yet of what those post-stellar systems look like and how they evolve. The James Webb Space Telescope, with its ability to analyse planetary atmospheres in unprecedented detail, is expected to find more systems like it — giving astronomers a growing catalogue of planets that survived, or arrived after, the deaths of their stars.

A Jupiter-sized planet orbits a dead white dwarf 80 light-years away. A 2026 Nature study using JWST found it didn't survive the red giant — it miated inward billions of years later.

When a star dies, it does not go quietly. A Sun-like star in its final phase swells into a red giant, expanding to hundreds of times its original size and incinerating everything in its inner system. Then it sheds its outer layers entirely, leaving behind a white dwarf — a dense, Earth-sized remnant of the original star, cooling slowly over billions of years. Any planet that was close enough to be engulfed by the red giant is gone. The conventional wisdom was that whatever survived a star's death must have been far enough away to escape that expansion. Then astronomers found WD 1856b — a planet as large as Jupiter, orbiting its dead white dwarf host every 34 hours at a distance of less than three million kilometres — and the conventional wisdom needed revising. The Planet That Should Not Be Where It Is WD 1856b was first detected in 2020 using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Even then, the discovery was deeply puzzling. The planet is enormous — between four and eleven times the mass of Jupiter, with a radius roughly eight times that of its white dwarf host, which is only about the size of Earth. When it transits in front of the dead star, it blocks a staggering 56 percent of the star's light — one of the highest transit depths ever recorded. And it is orbiting at an extraordinarily tight distance: less than three million kilometres from the white dwarf, completing a full orbit in just 1.4 days. The immediate question was how a planet that large could be orbiting that close to a star that had, billions of years ago, expanded into a red giant large enough to have destroyed anything in that region. James Webb Telescope Finds The Answer A new study published in the journal Nature on July 1, 2026 has used the James Webb Space Telescope to analyse WD 1856b's atmosphere for the first time, providing the data needed to finally understand the planet's history. The research team, led by Christopher O'Connor of Northwestern University's Centre for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics and Ryan J. MacDonald of the University of St Andrews in Scotland, found that WD 1856b's atmospheric chemistry, mass, and thermal properties tell a specific story — one that was not what most astronomers expected. It Did Not Survive The Red Giant. It Arrived Later The key finding of the 2026 study overturns the most intuitive explanation for WD 1856b's presence. The planet did not survive the red giant phase by being close to the star. It was not there during the red giant phase at all. Instead, WD 1856b originally orbited its host star from a much greater distance — far enough to be safe when the star expanded and died. It was only afterwards, between three and five and a half billion years after the white dwarf formed, that the planet gradually migrated inward to its current orbit through gravitational interactions with other objects in the system. The planet did not outlast the star's death. It moved in after the worst was already over. Tidal Heating Explains The Temperature Mystery One of the clues that pointed researchers toward the migration theory is WD 1856b's temperature. The planet registers at around 400 Kelvin — warmer than it should be given its distance from a cooling white dwarf that generates very little heat. The explanation lies in the physics of orbital migration: as the planet spiralled inward over billions of years, tidal forces — the same gravitational stretching that makes Earth's oceans bulge toward the Moon — generated heat inside the planet's interior. That residual tidal heating is still warming WD 1856b today, producing a thermal signature that the James Webb Space Telescope could detect and that matched the migration timeline. What It Means For Our Solar System's Future The Sun will run out of fuel and begin its red giant phase in approximately five billion years. When it does, Mercury, Venus, and Earth will almost certainly be consumed. Jupiter and Saturn, orbiting much farther out, will likely survive the expansion. What WD 1856b demonstrates is what could happen next: after the Sun collapses into a white dwarf, the surviving outer planets may not simply continue orbiting as they do today. Gravitational dynamics could cause them to migrate inward over billions of subsequent years, eventually ending up in orbits far closer to the white dwarf remnant than they occupy today — just as WD 1856b did. The solar system's final chapter, it turns out, may look considerably more eventful than a quiet slow cooling. A New Window Into Dead Star Systems Beyond the fate of our own solar system, WD 1856b matters because it is the first confirmed giant planet orbiting a white dwarf for which a detailed atmospheric and thermal analysis has been possible. White dwarfs are abundant — the vast majority of Sun-like stars in the galaxy will eventually become them — but the planetary systems surrounding them have been difficult to study. WD 1856b, at 80 light-years from Earth and with its dramatic 56-percent transit depth, offers the clearest view yet of what those post-stellar systems look like and how they evolve. The James Webb Space Telescope, with its ability to analyse planetary atmospheres in unprecedented detail, is expected to find more systems like it — giving astronomers a growing catalogue of planets that survived, or arrived after, the deaths of their stars.

Eighty light-years from Earth, a Jupiter-sized planet is orbiting the corpse of a dead star — completing a full orbit every 34 hours, blocking more than half the star's light with its enormous bulk, and somehow still intact billions of years after its host star collapsed. A new study published in Nature in 2026 using the James Webb Space Telescope has finally explained how it got there — and the answer is stranger than anyone predicted.

'80 light-years away': This planet watched its star die and yet it survived

Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday (July 1) declared seven days of national mourning after last week's devastating twin earthquakes killed at least 2,295 people, injured more than 11,000 and left thousands more unaccounted for.&nbsp;"Venezuela's soul is torn apart by the human losses caused by the devastating earthquakes," Rodriguez wrote on her Telegram account while announcing the period of national mourning from 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) on Wednesday.&nbsp;National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the death toll had risen to 2,295, with nearly 13,000 people left homeless. The United Nations estimates that around 50,000 people remain missing.&nbsp;The worst destruction was reported in the coastal city of La Guaira, north of Caracas, where many collapsed buildings have been marked with the letter "D" for "deceased", indicating they had been searched and no signs of life were found.&nbsp;The two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5, flattened entire neighbourhoods in oil-rich Venezuela, where years of economic crisis had already weakened infrastructure and healthcare services. The disaster struck as the country remained in a fragile political transition, six months after the United States ousted leader Nicolas Maduro.&nbsp;International rescue teams have joined search efforts across the affected areas, while many residents have voiced frustration over the government's response. As rescue operations continue, thousands remain without shelter, while food and clean drinking water are becoming increasingly scarce.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-tariff-blow-trump-refuses-to-extend-us-trade-pact-with-canada-and-mexico-he-negotiated-in-first-term-1782936096825">After tariff blow, Trump refuses to extend US trade pact with Canada and Mexico he negotiated in first term</a>&nbsp;The World Food Programme on Tuesday appealed for $50 million to provide food assistance to around 500,000 people in Venezuela over the next three months.&nbsp;Health officials have also warned of a growing risk of disease outbreaks. World Health Organisation spokesman Christian Lindmeier said the country's health services were under "extreme pressure."&nbsp;"There's an increased risk now of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases" such as measles and diphtheria, due to low pre-earthquake vaccination coverage, he said.&nbsp;According to a preliminary assessment of satellite data published by NASA, the earthquakes likely damaged or destroyed 58,870 buildings.&nbsp;Amid the devastation, rescuers also found a reason for hope. A three-year-old boy was pulled alive from the rubble in Caracas on Tuesday, a week after the earthquakes struck.&nbsp;The boy's vital signs were good, the Jordanian civil defence said in a statement, adding that local authorities had been informed of the rescue.

The United Nations estimates that around 50,000 people remain missing, while the World Food Programme has appealed for $50 million to provide food assistance to about 500,000 people in Venezuela over the next three months.

Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodriguez on Wednesday (July 1) declared seven days of national mourning after last week's devastating twin earthquakes killed at least 2,295 people, injured more than 11,000 and left thousands more unaccounted for. "Venezuela's soul is torn apart by the human losses caused by the devastating earthquakes," Rodriguez wrote on her Telegram account while announcing the period of national mourning from 6:00 pm (2200 GMT) on Wednesday. National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said the death toll had risen to 2,295, with nearly 13,000 people left homeless. The United Nations estimates that around 50,000 people remain missing. The worst destruction was reported in the coastal city of La Guaira, north of Caracas, where many collapsed buildings have been marked with the letter "D" for "deceased", indicating they had been searched and no signs of life were found. The two earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5, flattened entire neighbourhoods in oil-rich Venezuela, where years of economic crisis had already weakened infrastructure and healthcare services. The disaster struck as the country remained in a fragile political transition, six months after the United States ousted leader Nicolas Maduro. International rescue teams have joined search efforts across the affected areas, while many residents have voiced frustration over the government's response. As rescue operations continue, thousands remain without shelter, while food and clean drinking water are becoming increasingly scarce. Also Read: After tariff blow, Trump refuses to extend US trade pact with Canada and Mexico he negotiated in first term The World Food Programme on Tuesday appealed for $50 million to provide food assistance to around 500,000 people in Venezuela over the next three months. Health officials have also warned of a growing risk of disease outbreaks. World Health Organisation spokesman Christian Lindmeier said the country's health services were under "extreme pressure." "There's an increased risk now of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases" such as measles and diphtheria, due to low pre-earthquake vaccination coverage, he said. According to a preliminary assessment of satellite data published by NASA, the earthquakes likely damaged or destroyed 58,870 buildings. Amid the devastation, rescuers also found a reason for hope. A three-year-old boy was pulled alive from the rubble in Caracas on Tuesday, a week after the earthquakes struck. The boy's vital signs were good, the Jordanian civil defence said in a statement, adding that local authorities had been informed of the rescue.

The United Nations estimates that around 50,000 people remain missing, while the World Food Programme has appealed for $50 million to provide food assistance to about 500,000 people in Venezuela over the next three months.

Venezuela declares seven days of mourning as earthquake death toll nears 3,000

When NASA launched the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite in April 2018, the mission's goal was straightforward: scan the sky for planets orbiting nearby stars by detecting the tiny dips in starlight that occur when a planet passes in front of its host. Eight years and billions of data points later, TESS has become something considerably more than its original brief. Its archive holds nearly 8,000 candidate exoplanets, nearly 900 of which have been confirmed. It has found worlds orbiting two stars simultaneously, planets being actively destroyed by their host stars, ultra-hot Jupiters completing full orbits in under a day, and — as of a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on July 1, 2026 — the first planet ever detected by TESS using gravitational microlensing, a completely different detection method that opens an entirely new class of world to the telescope's gaze.&nbsp;What TESS Does And How It Works&nbsp;TESS surveys the sky in sectors, spending roughly 27 days staring at a patch of the sky before moving on. Its primary method is the transit technique: when a planet passes between its star and TESS's camera, the star appears fractionally dimmer. The depth and timing of those dips reveal the planet's size and orbital period. It is an elegant method, but it has a limitation — it only works for planets whose orbits are aligned just right to pass in front of their star from TESS's perspective. The vast majority of planets are invisible to this approach. The 2026 findings suggest TESS has been detecting them anyway — through methods that were never its primary purpose.&nbsp;The First Microlensing Planet In TESS Data&nbsp;The headline discovery from the July 2026 study is Gaia23bra b — a super-Jupiter approximately 1.63 times the mass of Jupiter, orbiting an orange dwarf star at a distance similar to Jupiter's orbit around the Sun. What makes this planet extraordinary is how it was found. TESS detected it not through a transit, but through gravitational microlensing — the bending of light from a background star by the gravity of the planet's host star and the planet itself. Less than five percent of all known exoplanets have been found this way, and TESS was not designed to do it. Lead author Mallory Harris, a doctoral candidate at the University of New Mexico, described the discovery as a case study in what happens when you look carefully at data collected for one purpose and find it is recording something entirely different.&nbsp;AI Is Finding 10,000 Hidden Planets In The Archive&nbsp;The microlensing discovery is not the only secret TESS has been keeping. Researchers applying machine learning to the telescope's eight-year archive have found 10,091 candidate planets that had never been identified through conventional analysis — new worlds hiding in data that had already been processed and set aside. A separate AI study confirmed over 100 exoplanets from the TESS archive, including 31 that had never previously been catalogued. Among these were rare and extreme examples: planets with orbital periods of less than one Earth day, worlds in the habitable zones of their stars where liquid water might exist, and planets with characteristics that do not fit neatly into existing classification systems.&nbsp;Worlds That Should Not Exist — But Do&nbsp;Part of what has made the TESS archive so productive for AI-driven searches is the sheer diversity of what it has captured. The telescope has found planets being torn apart by the tidal forces of their host stars, their atmospheres being stripped away in real time. It has found circumbinary planets — worlds orbiting not one but two stars — a configuration that was once thought too dynamically unstable to host stable orbits. It has found a planet orbiting a star using ripples in space-time as the detection mechanism, and it has found planets with volcanic activity implied by their surface temperatures and orbital geometry. The range of planetary environments in the TESS data has consistently surprised researchers who expected the galaxy to be more uniform than it is.&nbsp;What The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Will Do Next&nbsp;The TESS microlensing discovery is also significant as a preview of what NASA's next major space telescope will accomplish. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, expected to launch in autumn 2026, is specifically designed for large-scale microlensing surveys and is projected to detect approximately 1,000 microlensing planets — compared to the handful identified in eight years of TESS data. The Roman telescope's discovery of Gaia23bra b in the TESS archive provides a critical methodological template: it demonstrates exactly how microlensing signals look in TESS data, which will help researchers identify and verify similar signals in Roman's far larger dataset.&nbsp;Eight Years Of Data, Decades Of Science To Come&nbsp;TESS is still operating. Every 27 days it moves to a new patch of sky, adding more data to an archive that researchers expect will take decades to fully mine. The confirmation that AI tools can extract thousands of previously unknown planet candidates from data that was thought to have been thoroughly analysed suggests that the most important discoveries from TESS may not have happened yet. As one team of researchers described it, the telescope's archive is not a finished record — it is an ongoing source of surprises. With nearly 8,000 candidates already identified and thousands more potentially buried in processed data, TESS's eight years of sky-watching appear to be just the beginning of what it has to tell us.

NASA's TESS telescope has 8 years of data hiding thousands of undiscovered planets. AI found 10,091 new candidates. A 2026 study found the first microlensing planet in TESS data. Full breakdown.

When NASA launched the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite in April 2018, the mission's goal was straightforward: scan the sky for planets orbiting nearby stars by detecting the tiny dips in starlight that occur when a planet passes in front of its host. Eight years and billions of data points later, TESS has become something considerably more than its original brief. Its archive holds nearly 8,000 candidate exoplanets, nearly 900 of which have been confirmed. It has found worlds orbiting two stars simultaneously, planets being actively destroyed by their host stars, ultra-hot Jupiters completing full orbits in under a day, and — as of a study published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters on July 1, 2026 — the first planet ever detected by TESS using gravitational microlensing, a completely different detection method that opens an entirely new class of world to the telescope's gaze. What TESS Does And How It Works TESS surveys the sky in sectors, spending roughly 27 days staring at a patch of the sky before moving on. Its primary method is the transit technique: when a planet passes between its star and TESS's camera, the star appears fractionally dimmer. The depth and timing of those dips reveal the planet's size and orbital period. It is an elegant method, but it has a limitation — it only works for planets whose orbits are aligned just right to pass in front of their star from TESS's perspective. The vast majority of planets are invisible to this approach. The 2026 findings suggest TESS has been detecting them anyway — through methods that were never its primary purpose. The First Microlensing Planet In TESS Data The headline discovery from the July 2026 study is Gaia23bra b — a super-Jupiter approximately 1.63 times the mass of Jupiter, orbiting an orange dwarf star at a distance similar to Jupiter's orbit around the Sun. What makes this planet extraordinary is how it was found. TESS detected it not through a transit, but through gravitational microlensing — the bending of light from a background star by the gravity of the planet's host star and the planet itself. Less than five percent of all known exoplanets have been found this way, and TESS was not designed to do it. Lead author Mallory Harris, a doctoral candidate at the University of New Mexico, described the discovery as a case study in what happens when you look carefully at data collected for one purpose and find it is recording something entirely different. AI Is Finding 10,000 Hidden Planets In The Archive The microlensing discovery is not the only secret TESS has been keeping. Researchers applying machine learning to the telescope's eight-year archive have found 10,091 candidate planets that had never been identified through conventional analysis — new worlds hiding in data that had already been processed and set aside. A separate AI study confirmed over 100 exoplanets from the TESS archive, including 31 that had never previously been catalogued. Among these were rare and extreme examples: planets with orbital periods of less than one Earth day, worlds in the habitable zones of their stars where liquid water might exist, and planets with characteristics that do not fit neatly into existing classification systems. Worlds That Should Not Exist — But Do Part of what has made the TESS archive so productive for AI-driven searches is the sheer diversity of what it has captured. The telescope has found planets being torn apart by the tidal forces of their host stars, their atmospheres being stripped away in real time. It has found circumbinary planets — worlds orbiting not one but two stars — a configuration that was once thought too dynamically unstable to host stable orbits. It has found a planet orbiting a star using ripples in space-time as the detection mechanism, and it has found planets with volcanic activity implied by their surface temperatures and orbital geometry. The range of planetary environments in the TESS data has consistently surprised researchers who expected the galaxy to be more uniform than it is. What The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope Will Do Next The TESS microlensing discovery is also significant as a preview of what NASA's next major space telescope will accomplish. The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, expected to launch in autumn 2026, is specifically designed for large-scale microlensing surveys and is projected to detect approximately 1,000 microlensing planets — compared to the handful identified in eight years of TESS data. The Roman telescope's discovery of Gaia23bra b in the TESS archive provides a critical methodological template: it demonstrates exactly how microlensing signals look in TESS data, which will help researchers identify and verify similar signals in Roman's far larger dataset. Eight Years Of Data, Decades Of Science To Come TESS is still operating. Every 27 days it moves to a new patch of sky, adding more data to an archive that researchers expect will take decades to fully mine. The confirmation that AI tools can extract thousands of previously unknown planet candidates from data that was thought to have been thoroughly analysed suggests that the most important discoveries from TESS may not have happened yet. As one team of researchers described it, the telescope's archive is not a finished record — it is an ongoing source of surprises. With nearly 8,000 candidates already identified and thousands more potentially buried in processed data, TESS's eight years of sky-watching appear to be just the beginning of what it has to tell us.

NASA's TESS telescope has been staring at the sky for eight years, and scientists are only now beginning to understand how much it has recorded. With nearly 8,000 candidate exoplanets found, AI tools uncovering over 10,000 more hidden in its archive, and the first-ever microlensing planet discovered in its data in 2026, TESS has become one of the most productive science machines ever built and researchers say the biggest discoveries may still be buried in its data.

'8,000 candidate exoplanets': NASA's TESS is hiding mind-boggling space secrets in its 8-year data

Every atom of iron in your blood was forged inside a star. Every atom of gold, every atom of uranium, every heavy element heavier than iron in the periodic table was created in the violent death of a massive star — a supernova explosion that scattered stellar material across interstellar space. This is not poetry. It is nuclear astrophysics. And now, for the first time, scientists have found a direct physical sample of that supernova debris — stardust — preserved inside Antarctic ice, providing a record of the solar system's journey through the cosmos that stretches back tens of thousands of years.&nbsp;What Is Stardust?&nbsp;Stardust, in the scientific sense, refers to microscopic solid particles produced by stars and ejected into space — either during the slow stellar winds of older, dying stars or in the catastrophic explosions called supernovas. These particles drift through the interstellar medium, the vast near-empty space between star systems, and can travel enormous distances over millions of years. What makes certain stardust particles particularly valuable to scientists is their radioactive signature: supernovas produce specific isotopes that do not exist naturally on Earth, making them unmistakable markers of an extraterrestrial origin.&nbsp;The Radioactive Fingerprint: Iron-60&nbsp;The specific stardust found in Antarctic ice is identified by a radioactive isotope called iron-60, written as ⁶⁰Fe. This isotope is produced almost exclusively in supernova explosions, when a massive star collapses and detonates, fusing lighter elements into heavier ones and scattering them outward at enormous speeds. Iron-60 has a half-life of about 2.6 million years — meaning it decays slowly enough to survive a long journey through space, but fast enough that any iron-60 found on Earth today must have arrived relatively recently in geological terms. It cannot have been here from the formation of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago; it would have long since decayed.&nbsp;Why Antarctica?&nbsp;Antarctica is one of the few places on Earth where interstellar dust can be detected and measured with confidence. The continent's ice sheets have been accumulating material for hundreds of thousands of years, layer by layer, in conditions largely untouched by industrial contamination, human activity, or the geological processes that mix and dilute surface material elsewhere on the planet. By drilling into Antarctic ice cores — cylinders of ice extracted from deep below the surface, each layer corresponding to a different era — scientists can read a continuous record of what has been falling onto Earth from space over vast timescales. It is, in effect, a time capsule written in ice.&nbsp;What The Study Found&nbsp;A research team led by nuclear astrophysicist Dominik Koll of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf in Germany analysed Antarctic ice cores and found iron-60 embedded in the layers, confirming that supernova-produced stardust has been reaching Earth's surface. The study, published in Physical Review Letters in 2026, revealed something unexpected about the distribution of the iron-60 through the ice layers: concentrations were lower than predicted between approximately 40,000 and 80,000 years ago. This dip in stardust deposition is a clue about how the local interstellar environment has changed over that period.&nbsp;The Local Interstellar Cloud: The Solar System's Current Neighbourhood&nbsp;Our solar system is not sitting in empty space. It is currently moving through a region called the Local Interstellar Cloud — sometimes informally called the Local Fluff — a diffuse mass of gas, dust, and plasma that is believed to have been seeded with material from ancient supernova explosions in the region. Scientists estimate that the solar system has been travelling through this cloud for somewhere between 40,000 and 124,000 years. The iron-60 found in Antarctic ice is direct physical evidence of that passage: stardust from the cloud has been gradually filtering through the heliosphere — the bubble of solar wind that surrounds the solar system — and settling onto Earth's surface over millennia.&nbsp;What It Tells Us About The Solar System's Past&nbsp;The Antarctic ice record of stardust is, as researchers have described it, a flight recorder for the solar system's journey through the Local Interstellar Cloud. The varying levels of iron-60 through different ice layers reflect changes in the density and structure of the cloud as the solar system has moved through it. The lower concentrations between 40,000 and 80,000 years ago suggest the solar system may have been passing through a less dense region of the cloud during that period. As more ice layers are analysed and the record extends further back, scientists hope to map the full structure of the Local Interstellar Cloud and understand how the solar system's immediate cosmic neighbourhood has changed over time — one layer of ice, one grain of stardust, at a time.

Scientists found iron-60 — radioactive supernova stardust — in Antarctic ice in 2026. Here's what stardust is, why Antarctica is the best place to find it, and what it tells us about the solar system.

Every atom of iron in your blood was forged inside a star. Every atom of gold, every atom of uranium, every heavy element heavier than iron in the periodic table was created in the violent death of a massive star — a supernova explosion that scattered stellar material across interstellar space. This is not poetry. It is nuclear astrophysics. And now, for the first time, scientists have found a direct physical sample of that supernova debris — stardust — preserved inside Antarctic ice, providing a record of the solar system's journey through the cosmos that stretches back tens of thousands of years. What Is Stardust? Stardust, in the scientific sense, refers to microscopic solid particles produced by stars and ejected into space — either during the slow stellar winds of older, dying stars or in the catastrophic explosions called supernovas. These particles drift through the interstellar medium, the vast near-empty space between star systems, and can travel enormous distances over millions of years. What makes certain stardust particles particularly valuable to scientists is their radioactive signature: supernovas produce specific isotopes that do not exist naturally on Earth, making them unmistakable markers of an extraterrestrial origin. The Radioactive Fingerprint: Iron-60 The specific stardust found in Antarctic ice is identified by a radioactive isotope called iron-60, written as ⁶⁰Fe. This isotope is produced almost exclusively in supernova explosions, when a massive star collapses and detonates, fusing lighter elements into heavier ones and scattering them outward at enormous speeds. Iron-60 has a half-life of about 2.6 million years — meaning it decays slowly enough to survive a long journey through space, but fast enough that any iron-60 found on Earth today must have arrived relatively recently in geological terms. It cannot have been here from the formation of the solar system 4.5 billion years ago; it would have long since decayed. Why Antarctica? Antarctica is one of the few places on Earth where interstellar dust can be detected and measured with confidence. The continent's ice sheets have been accumulating material for hundreds of thousands of years, layer by layer, in conditions largely untouched by industrial contamination, human activity, or the geological processes that mix and dilute surface material elsewhere on the planet. By drilling into Antarctic ice cores — cylinders of ice extracted from deep below the surface, each layer corresponding to a different era — scientists can read a continuous record of what has been falling onto Earth from space over vast timescales. It is, in effect, a time capsule written in ice. What The Study Found A research team led by nuclear astrophysicist Dominik Koll of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf in Germany analysed Antarctic ice cores and found iron-60 embedded in the layers, confirming that supernova-produced stardust has been reaching Earth's surface. The study, published in Physical Review Letters in 2026, revealed something unexpected about the distribution of the iron-60 through the ice layers: concentrations were lower than predicted between approximately 40,000 and 80,000 years ago. This dip in stardust deposition is a clue about how the local interstellar environment has changed over that period. The Local Interstellar Cloud: The Solar System's Current Neighbourhood Our solar system is not sitting in empty space. It is currently moving through a region called the Local Interstellar Cloud — sometimes informally called the Local Fluff — a diffuse mass of gas, dust, and plasma that is believed to have been seeded with material from ancient supernova explosions in the region. Scientists estimate that the solar system has been travelling through this cloud for somewhere between 40,000 and 124,000 years. The iron-60 found in Antarctic ice is direct physical evidence of that passage: stardust from the cloud has been gradually filtering through the heliosphere — the bubble of solar wind that surrounds the solar system — and settling onto Earth's surface over millennia. What It Tells Us About The Solar System's Past The Antarctic ice record of stardust is, as researchers have described it, a flight recorder for the solar system's journey through the Local Interstellar Cloud. The varying levels of iron-60 through different ice layers reflect changes in the density and structure of the cloud as the solar system has moved through it. The lower concentrations between 40,000 and 80,000 years ago suggest the solar system may have been passing through a less dense region of the cloud during that period. As more ice layers are analysed and the record extends further back, scientists hope to map the full structure of the Local Interstellar Cloud and understand how the solar system's immediate cosmic neighbourhood has changed over time — one layer of ice, one grain of stardust, at a time.

Scientists drilling into Antarctic ice have found something extraordinary: radioactive dust produced by ancient supernova explosions, which has been drifting through interstellar space for millions of years and slowly settling onto Earth's surface. The discovery, published in Physical Review Letters in 2026, is helping researchers map the solar system's journey through a vast cloud of stellar debris — and understand how the cosmos is leaving its fingerprints on our planet.

What is Stardust And why was it found in Antarctica?

Light travels at roughly 300,000 kilometres per second. At that speed, it still takes 250 years to cross 250 light-years of space. And that is precisely how far away Spica is — the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, visible as a brilliant blue-white point low in the southwestern sky on summer evenings. The light reaching your eye when you look at Spica tonight departed that star sometime around 1776 — the year thirteen American colonies declared independence from Britain and set in motion the events that would eventually produce the world's most influential democracy. In 2026, as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, that coincidence has taken on a kind of poetic weight.&nbsp;What Spica Actually Is&nbsp;Spica — formally designated Alpha Virginis — is not a single star. It is a binary system: two massive, blue-white stars locked in an extraordinarily tight mutual orbit, separated by only 0.12 astronomical units — about 12 percent of the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. They complete one orbit around each other every four days, so close that no telescope can resolve them as separate objects. The larger of the two is about 7.8 times the diameter of the Sun; the smaller is roughly 4 times as wide. Their surface temperatures reach around 22,000 degrees Celsius for the hotter component — compared to the Sun's 5,500 degrees. Together, the pair shines at over 12,100 times the luminosity of our Sun, making Spica the 16th brightest star in the entire night sky despite being a quarter of a millennium away.&nbsp;The Arc To Arcturus, Then Speed On To Spica&nbsp;Finding Spica without a telescope or star chart is easier than it sounds. Start by locating the Big Dipper — the familiar seven-star asterism in the northern sky. Follow the curve of its handle outward and you will quickly reach Arcturus, the brilliant orange-red star in the constellation Bootes. Keep following that same arc beyond Arcturus and you will arrive at Spica — a cooler blue-white point lower in the southwestern sky. Astronomers and star-gazers have long taught this route with a simple mnemonic: arc to Arcturus, speed on to Spica. At an apparent magnitude of 0.97, Spica is bright enough to see easily from most suburban locations, provided the sky is clear and you give your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dark.&nbsp;A Second Star From 1776 — But Not Tonight&nbsp;Spica is not the only star sitting at roughly the 250-light-year mark. Bellatrix — the star at the left shoulder of the constellation Orion, the celestial hunter — is also located about 250 light-years from Earth, meaning its light carries an equally ancient timestamp. However, Orion is a winter constellation in the northern hemisphere and is lost in the glare of the Sun during summer months in 2026. For the July 4 celebrations, Spica is the star to look for. Bellatrix and Orion will return to the evening sky in late autumn.&nbsp;What 250 Years Of Light Travel Means&nbsp;The thought experiment at the heart of this story is worth sitting with for a moment. When the Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, a pulse of light was leaving Spica at the speed of 300,000 kilometres per second. George Washington was 44 years old. The steam engine had not yet been invented. No one on Earth had any concept of electricity, antibiotics, flight, or nuclear power. That pulse of light has been crossing interstellar space ever since — through the Industrial Revolution, two World Wars, the Moon landing, and the invention of the internet — and it is arriving at Earth now, in 2026, just in time for the 250th anniversary of the nation it has been silently racing toward.&nbsp;Why Astronomers Love This Kind Of Story&nbsp;For astronomers, the connection between stellar distance and cosmic time is not a metaphor — it is physics. Every star you see in the night sky is showing you the past, not the present. The Sun's light takes about eight minutes to reach Earth; the nearest star beyond the Sun, Proxima Centauri, is 4.2 light-years away, meaning we see it as it was four years ago. Spica at 250 light-years shows us what was happening on the surface of that binary system when the quill was being put to parchment in Philadelphia. In a universe 13.8 billion years old, 250 years is a cosmic blink. But it is also the entire lifespan of the American democratic experiment — and on a clear summer night, you can see both of those 250-year journeys meet in the same moment, in the same beam of blue-white light.

Spica in Virgo is 250 light-years away, meaning its light left in 1776 — the year America was born. Here's how to find it and what it tells us about cosmic time.

Light travels at roughly 300,000 kilometres per second. At that speed, it still takes 250 years to cross 250 light-years of space. And that is precisely how far away Spica is — the brightest star in the constellation Virgo, visible as a brilliant blue-white point low in the southwestern sky on summer evenings. The light reaching your eye when you look at Spica tonight departed that star sometime around 1776 — the year thirteen American colonies declared independence from Britain and set in motion the events that would eventually produce the world's most influential democracy. In 2026, as the United States marks its 250th anniversary, that coincidence has taken on a kind of poetic weight. What Spica Actually Is Spica — formally designated Alpha Virginis — is not a single star. It is a binary system: two massive, blue-white stars locked in an extraordinarily tight mutual orbit, separated by only 0.12 astronomical units — about 12 percent of the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. They complete one orbit around each other every four days, so close that no telescope can resolve them as separate objects. The larger of the two is about 7.8 times the diameter of the Sun; the smaller is roughly 4 times as wide. Their surface temperatures reach around 22,000 degrees Celsius for the hotter component — compared to the Sun's 5,500 degrees. Together, the pair shines at over 12,100 times the luminosity of our Sun, making Spica the 16th brightest star in the entire night sky despite being a quarter of a millennium away. The Arc To Arcturus, Then Speed On To Spica Finding Spica without a telescope or star chart is easier than it sounds. Start by locating the Big Dipper — the familiar seven-star asterism in the northern sky. Follow the curve of its handle outward and you will quickly reach Arcturus, the brilliant orange-red star in the constellation Bootes. Keep following that same arc beyond Arcturus and you will arrive at Spica — a cooler blue-white point lower in the southwestern sky. Astronomers and star-gazers have long taught this route with a simple mnemonic: arc to Arcturus, speed on to Spica. At an apparent magnitude of 0.97, Spica is bright enough to see easily from most suburban locations, provided the sky is clear and you give your eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dark. A Second Star From 1776 — But Not Tonight Spica is not the only star sitting at roughly the 250-light-year mark. Bellatrix — the star at the left shoulder of the constellation Orion, the celestial hunter — is also located about 250 light-years from Earth, meaning its light carries an equally ancient timestamp. However, Orion is a winter constellation in the northern hemisphere and is lost in the glare of the Sun during summer months in 2026. For the July 4 celebrations, Spica is the star to look for. Bellatrix and Orion will return to the evening sky in late autumn. What 250 Years Of Light Travel Means The thought experiment at the heart of this story is worth sitting with for a moment. When the Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia on July 4, 1776, a pulse of light was leaving Spica at the speed of 300,000 kilometres per second. George Washington was 44 years old. The steam engine had not yet been invented. No one on Earth had any concept of electricity, antibiotics, flight, or nuclear power. That pulse of light has been crossing interstellar space ever since — through the Industrial Revolution, two World Wars, the Moon landing, and the invention of the internet — and it is arriving at Earth now, in 2026, just in time for the 250th anniversary of the nation it has been silently racing toward. Why Astronomers Love This Kind Of Story For astronomers, the connection between stellar distance and cosmic time is not a metaphor — it is physics. Every star you see in the night sky is showing you the past, not the present. The Sun's light takes about eight minutes to reach Earth; the nearest star beyond the Sun, Proxima Centauri, is 4.2 light-years away, meaning we see it as it was four years ago. Spica at 250 light-years shows us what was happening on the surface of that binary system when the quill was being put to parchment in Philadelphia. In a universe 13.8 billion years old, 250 years is a cosmic blink. But it is also the entire lifespan of the American democratic experiment — and on a clear summer night, you can see both of those 250-year journeys meet in the same moment, in the same beam of blue-white light.

On July 4, 2026, America turns 250 years old. To mark the occasion, astronomers are pointing people to a star visible with the naked eye whose light left its surface around the same year the Declaration of Independence was signed. That star is Spica — the brightest point of light in the constellation Virgo — and the photons hitting your eye tonight have been travelling through space for exactly as long as the United States has existed.

When you look at this star tonight, you are seeing light that left space in 1776

A daring climb above New York City ended with an unexpected marriage proposal after two people scaled the transmission tower of the Empire State Building, unfurled a peace banner, and later descended before being arrested.&nbsp;Wearing black outfits and covering their faces, the pair reached the top of the 1,454-foot landmark and displayed a banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">WATCH: Masked individuals climb Empire State Building and unfurl banner reading ‘When the power of love beats the love of power the world knows peace’ <a href="https://t.co/rLohX2VeOE">pic.twitter.com/rLohX2VeOE</a>&mdash; Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025) <a href="https://x.com/RapidReport2025/status/2072362931040157859?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

What happened next surprised onlookers even more. After climbing down to a lower platform, the man dropped to one knee and appeared to propose to his companion. She accepted, removed her face covering, and the two hugged and shared a kiss.&nbsp;The Empire State Building's observation deck is open to visitors and offers panoramic views of New York City, but access to the higher sections of the tower is prohibited.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-tariff-blow-trump-refuses-to-extend-us-trade-pact-with-canada-and-mexico-he-negotiated-in-first-term-1782936096825">After tariff blow, Trump refuses to extend US trade pact with Canada and Mexico he negotiated in first term</a>&nbsp;According to CBS News, citing law enforcement sources, the couple was identified as 32-year-old Ivan Kuznetsov and 33-year-old Angelina Nikolau, although his social media page identifies him as Ivan Beerkus. The two live in East Orange, New Jersey, and are known for carrying out similar high-rise climbing stunts without ropes or other safety equipment.&nbsp;An NYPD helicopter responded to the scene as the pair began climbing down at about 12:35 p.m. They were later taken into custody.&nbsp;Responding to the incident, an Empire State Building spokesperson said, "The unauthorised incident at the building has been resolved with the constructive and helpful coordination of the NYPD. There was at no time danger to tenants, visitors, and Empire State Building Observation Deck guests."&nbsp;The spokesperson added, "It is to be emphasised that the Empire State Building Observation Deck, atop the World's Most Famous Building in the centre of New York City, does offer a practical way for the most memorable marriage proposals."

After descending to a lower platform, the man got down on one knee and appeared to propose to his companion. She accepted the proposal, removed her face covering, and the pair hugged and kissed.

A daring climb above New York City ended with an unexpected marriage proposal after two people scaled the transmission tower of the Empire State Building, unfurled a peace banner, and later descended before being arrested. Wearing black outfits and covering their faces, the pair reached the top of the 1,454-foot landmark and displayed a banner that read, “When the power of love beats the love of power, the world knows peace.”

After descending to a lower platform, the man got down on one knee and appeared to propose to his companion. She accepted the proposal, removed her face covering, and the pair hugged and kissed.

Watch | Peace, proposal and police: Couple scales Empire State Building, gets arrested

In the catalogue of strange worlds beyond our solar system, hot Jupiters occupy a special category of the bizarre. These are gas giants the size of Jupiter or larger that orbit their host stars in a matter of days — so close that their surface temperatures can exceed thousands of degrees. Astronomers thought they had a fairly good handle on how these planets behave. Then they looked more closely at CoRoT-2 b, and the rulebook turned out to be wrong.&nbsp;A Planet That Should Not Exist As It Does&nbsp;CoRoT-2 b sits 696 light-years from Earth. It is a hulking world — 3.5 times the mass of Jupiter and 1.5 times its size — that races around its host star in just 41 hours, completing a full orbit in under two Earth days. By the standards of hot Jupiters, this makes it an extreme but not unusual example of its type. What makes CoRoT-2 b extraordinary is what its atmosphere is doing. On every other hot Jupiter astronomers have studied, the planet's hottest point — its thermal hotspot — is displaced slightly in the direction the planet orbits. Winds in the upper atmosphere carry heat from the blazing dayside in the direction of the planet's motion, and the hotspot follows. On CoRoT-2 b, the hotspot is displaced in the opposite direction entirely. It is, by every model astronomers have, in the wrong place.&nbsp;What A Hot Jupiter Should Look Like&nbsp;To understand why this is so puzzling, it helps to understand what makes hot Jupiters tick. Because they orbit so close to their stars, most hot Jupiters are tidally locked — the same hemisphere always faces the star, just as the same side of the Moon always faces Earth. The dayside bakes under constant stellar radiation while the nightside stays cold. Powerful atmospheric winds, driven by this extreme temperature difference, flow from the hot dayside to the cooler nightside. These winds drag the peak heat — the hotspot — slightly ahead of the subsolar point in the direction of the planet's orbit. This pattern has been observed consistently across dozens of hot Jupiters. CoRoT-2 b was supposed to follow the same pattern. It does not.&nbsp;The Very Large Telescope Reveals The Clue&nbsp;New observations from the Very Large Telescope at the European Southern Observatory have given astronomers their best clue yet about what is happening on CoRoT-2 b. The data reveals that this hot Jupiter is rotating unusually slowly — far slower than any other hot Jupiter yet studied. One full rotation of CoRoT-2 b takes approximately three Earth days. But the planet's year — the time it takes to complete one orbit of its star — is just 1.7 days. In other words, CoRoT-2 b orbits its star twice before it has finished spinning once on its own axis. This is the opposite of what most hot Jupiters do, and it appears to be the key to why the hotspot ends up in the wrong place. The findings were presented at the 248th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Pasadena, California, in June 2026.&nbsp;Why Slow Rotation Changes Everything&nbsp;In a standard tidally locked hot Jupiter, the winds flowing from the dayside to the nightside are what determine where the hotspot sits. But when a planet is rotating more slowly than it orbits, the atmospheric dynamics change in fundamental ways. The Coriolis forces that shape wind patterns — the same forces that create cyclones and trade winds on Earth — behave differently when the planet's rotation rate is out of step with its orbital speed. Instead of atmospheric winds carrying heat forward in the direction of the orbit, they can be deflected backward, dragging the hotspot in the opposite direction. This is the leading hypothesis that researchers have settled on to explain CoRoT-2 b's backwards atmosphere — and it is unlike anything observed on another planet in or out of our solar system.&nbsp;A Window Into Planetary Diversity&nbsp;The significance of CoRoT-2 b goes beyond one anomalous planet. Hot Jupiters were once considered among the best-understood class of exoplanets precisely because their extreme properties made them easy to observe and their behaviour seemed predictable. CoRoT-2 b suggests that even within this well-studied category, the range of possible atmospheric behaviours is wider than models have accounted for. If slow rotation can produce a backwards hotspot on one hot Jupiter, there may be other worlds with similarly unusual rotation states that have been misinterpreted or overlooked in existing data. The researchers behind this work have described the pleasure of studying planetary exceptions — finding worlds that do not fit the standard picture and working out why. CoRoT-2 b, it turns out, is one of the most instructive exceptions yet found.&nbsp;What Comes Next&nbsp;Follow-up observations of CoRoT-2 b are expected to further probe the planet's atmospheric structure and test the slow-rotation hypothesis against competing explanations. The Very Large Telescope's spectroscopic capabilities allow researchers to map temperature distributions across the planet's visible disc, building a more detailed picture of where heat is concentrated and how it moves. Whether the slow rotation explanation holds up or gives way to something more surprising, CoRoT-2 b has already done what the best scientific anomalies do: it has forced astronomers to look at a class of well-studied objects and ask whether they fully understand them. The answer, at least for now, appears to be no.

CoRoT-2 b is a hot Jupiter 696 light-years away whose thermal hotspot is shifted in the wrong direction. New VLT data suggests the reason is its unusually slow rotation.

In the catalogue of strange worlds beyond our solar system, hot Jupiters occupy a special category of the bizarre. These are gas giants the size of Jupiter or larger that orbit their host stars in a matter of days — so close that their surface temperatures can exceed thousands of degrees. Astronomers thought they had a fairly good handle on how these planets behave. Then they looked more closely at CoRoT-2 b, and the rulebook turned out to be wrong. A Planet That Should Not Exist As It Does CoRoT-2 b sits 696 light-years from Earth. It is a hulking world — 3.5 times the mass of Jupiter and 1.5 times its size — that races around its host star in just 41 hours, completing a full orbit in under two Earth days. By the standards of hot Jupiters, this makes it an extreme but not unusual example of its type. What makes CoRoT-2 b extraordinary is what its atmosphere is doing. On every other hot Jupiter astronomers have studied, the planet's hottest point — its thermal hotspot — is displaced slightly in the direction the planet orbits. Winds in the upper atmosphere carry heat from the blazing dayside in the direction of the planet's motion, and the hotspot follows. On CoRoT-2 b, the hotspot is displaced in the opposite direction entirely. It is, by every model astronomers have, in the wrong place. What A Hot Jupiter Should Look Like To understand why this is so puzzling, it helps to understand what makes hot Jupiters tick. Because they orbit so close to their stars, most hot Jupiters are tidally locked — the same hemisphere always faces the star, just as the same side of the Moon always faces Earth. The dayside bakes under constant stellar radiation while the nightside stays cold. Powerful atmospheric winds, driven by this extreme temperature difference, flow from the hot dayside to the cooler nightside. These winds drag the peak heat — the hotspot — slightly ahead of the subsolar point in the direction of the planet's orbit. This pattern has been observed consistently across dozens of hot Jupiters. CoRoT-2 b was supposed to follow the same pattern. It does not. The Very Large Telescope Reveals The Clue New observations from the Very Large Telescope at the European Southern Observatory have given astronomers their best clue yet about what is happening on CoRoT-2 b. The data reveals that this hot Jupiter is rotating unusually slowly — far slower than any other hot Jupiter yet studied. One full rotation of CoRoT-2 b takes approximately three Earth days. But the planet's year — the time it takes to complete one orbit of its star — is just 1.7 days. In other words, CoRoT-2 b orbits its star twice before it has finished spinning once on its own axis. This is the opposite of what most hot Jupiters do, and it appears to be the key to why the hotspot ends up in the wrong place. The findings were presented at the 248th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Pasadena, California, in June 2026. Why Slow Rotation Changes Everything In a standard tidally locked hot Jupiter, the winds flowing from the dayside to the nightside are what determine where the hotspot sits. But when a planet is rotating more slowly than it orbits, the atmospheric dynamics change in fundamental ways. The Coriolis forces that shape wind patterns — the same forces that create cyclones and trade winds on Earth — behave differently when the planet's rotation rate is out of step with its orbital speed. Instead of atmospheric winds carrying heat forward in the direction of the orbit, they can be deflected backward, dragging the hotspot in the opposite direction. This is the leading hypothesis that researchers have settled on to explain CoRoT-2 b's backwards atmosphere — and it is unlike anything observed on another planet in or out of our solar system. A Window Into Planetary Diversity The significance of CoRoT-2 b goes beyond one anomalous planet. Hot Jupiters were once considered among the best-understood class of exoplanets precisely because their extreme properties made them easy to observe and their behaviour seemed predictable. CoRoT-2 b suggests that even within this well-studied category, the range of possible atmospheric behaviours is wider than models have accounted for. If slow rotation can produce a backwards hotspot on one hot Jupiter, there may be other worlds with similarly unusual rotation states that have been misinterpreted or overlooked in existing data. The researchers behind this work have described the pleasure of studying planetary exceptions — finding worlds that do not fit the standard picture and working out why. CoRoT-2 b, it turns out, is one of the most instructive exceptions yet found. What Comes Next Follow-up observations of CoRoT-2 b are expected to further probe the planet's atmospheric structure and test the slow-rotation hypothesis against competing explanations. The Very Large Telescope's spectroscopic capabilities allow researchers to map temperature distributions across the planet's visible disc, building a more detailed picture of where heat is concentrated and how it moves. Whether the slow rotation explanation holds up or gives way to something more surprising, CoRoT-2 b has already done what the best scientific anomalies do: it has forced astronomers to look at a class of well-studied objects and ask whether they fully understand them. The answer, at least for now, appears to be no.

CoRoT-2 b is a hot Jupiter exoplanet 696 light-years away that is breaking every rule astronomers have about how these scorching worlds work. On every other known hot Jupiter, the hottest point on the planet is shifted in the direction of its orbit. On CoRoT-2 b, it is shifted the other way entirely — and new data from the Very Large Telescope suggests the reason may be something nobody expected: the planet is rotating far too slowly.

This alien planet's hotspot is in the wrong place and astronomers have no idea why

In 1776, the year the American Revolution began, the known solar system was a tidy place. Six planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. All visible to the naked eye, all known to ancient civilisations, all accounted for. Then, in 1781, an amateur astronomer in England pointed a telescope at what he thought was a comet — and the number six became seven. That was the beginning of more than two centuries of upheaval in how we define and count the worlds orbiting our Sun.&nbsp;From Six To Seven: William Herschel And Uranus&nbsp;William Herschel's discovery of Uranus on March 13, 1781 was the first time in recorded history that a new planet had been found with a telescope. Unlike the five classical planets, Uranus is not visible to the naked eye under ordinary conditions, and Herschel himself initially catalogued it as a comet. When its circular orbit was confirmed, astronomers realised they had found a genuine planet — and the solar system suddenly had seven members. It was a conceptual earthquake: for thousands of years, the planet count had been fixed at six. Now it could change.&nbsp;The Chaotic 1800s: Eleven Planets And Then A Collapse&nbsp;The discovery of Uranus opened the floodgates. In 1801, Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi found Ceres in the gap between Mars and Jupiter — the missing planet that astronomers had predicted must exist based on a mathematical pattern called the Titius-Bode law. The count went to eight. Then came Pallas in 1802, Juno in 1804, and Vesta in 1807 — all discovered in that same region of space. By 1807, the solar system had eleven recognised planets. But the celebration was short-lived. As more and more objects were found in the same region, astronomers began to suspect they had not found planets at all — they had found a new class of smaller body. By the 1850s, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta and their neighbours were reclassified as asteroids, and the planet count collapsed back to seven.&nbsp;Neptune: Found By Mathematics&nbsp;While the asteroid debate was playing out, mathematicians were noticing something odd about Uranus. Its orbit was not quite following Newton's laws as predicted. Either gravity behaved differently at that distance from the Sun, or something else — something large — was pulling at Uranus from further out. French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier did the calculations to predict exactly where this unseen object should be in the sky. On September 23, 1846, German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle pointed his telescope at Le Verrier's coordinates and found Neptune within one degree of the predicted position. It was one of science's great triumphs: a planet discovered by pure mathematics before a single observation. The count rose to eight.&nbsp;Pluto's Rise And Fall: Nine Planets For Seventy-Six Years&nbsp;In 1930, American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona. The solar system had nine planets — a number that would stand for seventy-six years and define the childhood understanding of space for multiple generations. But in the 1990s and 2000s, astronomers began finding dozens of other icy objects in the same distant region as Pluto, culminating in the 2005 discovery of Eris — an object very similar to Pluto in size. The question was unavoidable: if Pluto was a planet, so were Eris and potentially dozens of other Kuiper Belt objects. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union convened a general meeting to vote on a formal definition of the word 'planet' for the first time in history. The initial proposal would have elevated Ceres, Eris, and Pluto's largest moon Charon to planet status, bringing the total to twelve. The final vote went the other way: Pluto was reclassified as a 'dwarf planet,' and the solar system's planet count dropped to eight.&nbsp;Planet Nine: A Mathematical Ghost In The Outer Solar System&nbsp;The story may not be over. In 2016, astronomers Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin at the California Institute of Technology announced evidence for a ninth planet — not yet observed directly, but inferred from the unusual clustering of trans-Neptunian objects in the Kuiper Belt. Several of these small icy bodies have orbits that appear to have been herded into alignment by the gravity of something large and unseen. Their modelling suggested a planet roughly four to four-and-a-half times the mass of Earth, orbiting the Sun at a distance of around 290 AU — nearly ten times further than Neptune. As of 2025, mass estimates had been refined to approximately 4.4 Earth masses.&nbsp;The Hunt Intensifies — And Gets More Complicated&nbsp;The search for Planet Nine has produced tantalising but contested results. In 2025, a possible detection candidate was identified in the constellation Eridanus using archival data from the IRAS and AKARI infrared satellites — a pair of faint dots consistent with a distant moving object. However, sceptics noted that a single pair of faint detections is far from conclusive. Separately, astronomers hunting for Planet Nine found possible hints of a different, previously unknown planet in the outer solar system — raising the possibility that there may be more than one undiscovered world out there. In June 2026, new research emerged that further complicated the picture, with a discovery appearing to challenge some of the orbital clustering evidence that originally motivated the Planet Nine hypothesis. The debate is very much alive.&nbsp;The Vera Rubin Observatory: The Best Chance Of An Answer&nbsp;The most likely resolution to the Planet Nine question will come from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which is currently conducting an unprecedented decade-long survey of the southern sky. If Planet Nine exists and is anywhere near the predicted position, Rubin's wide-field camera — the largest ever built for astronomy — has a strong chance of detecting it. Brown and Batygin, along with competing teams, expect the search to take up to five more years. If the ninth planet is confirmed, the solar system's count will change for the seventh time in recorded history. If it is not found, the clustering of Kuiper Belt objects that started the whole debate will need a different explanation — and astronomers will return to a solar system of eight, perhaps permanently.

The solar system's planet count has changed seven times in 250 years — from 6 to 11, back down, then up to 9, then 8. Planet Nine could change it again. Full history explained.

In 1776, the year the American Revolution began, the known solar system was a tidy place. Six planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. All visible to the naked eye, all known to ancient civilisations, all accounted for. Then, in 1781, an amateur astronomer in England pointed a telescope at what he thought was a comet — and the number six became seven. That was the beginning of more than two centuries of upheaval in how we define and count the worlds orbiting our Sun. From Six To Seven: William Herschel And Uranus William Herschel's discovery of Uranus on March 13, 1781 was the first time in recorded history that a new planet had been found with a telescope. Unlike the five classical planets, Uranus is not visible to the naked eye under ordinary conditions, and Herschel himself initially catalogued it as a comet. When its circular orbit was confirmed, astronomers realised they had found a genuine planet — and the solar system suddenly had seven members. It was a conceptual earthquake: for thousands of years, the planet count had been fixed at six. Now it could change. The Chaotic 1800s: Eleven Planets And Then A Collapse The discovery of Uranus opened the floodgates. In 1801, Italian astronomer Giuseppe Piazzi found Ceres in the gap between Mars and Jupiter — the missing planet that astronomers had predicted must exist based on a mathematical pattern called the Titius-Bode law. The count went to eight. Then came Pallas in 1802, Juno in 1804, and Vesta in 1807 — all discovered in that same region of space. By 1807, the solar system had eleven recognised planets. But the celebration was short-lived. As more and more objects were found in the same region, astronomers began to suspect they had not found planets at all — they had found a new class of smaller body. By the 1850s, Ceres, Pallas, Juno, Vesta and their neighbours were reclassified as asteroids, and the planet count collapsed back to seven. Neptune: Found By Mathematics While the asteroid debate was playing out, mathematicians were noticing something odd about Uranus. Its orbit was not quite following Newton's laws as predicted. Either gravity behaved differently at that distance from the Sun, or something else — something large — was pulling at Uranus from further out. French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier did the calculations to predict exactly where this unseen object should be in the sky. On September 23, 1846, German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle pointed his telescope at Le Verrier's coordinates and found Neptune within one degree of the predicted position. It was one of science's great triumphs: a planet discovered by pure mathematics before a single observation. The count rose to eight. Pluto's Rise And Fall: Nine Planets For Seventy-Six Years In 1930, American astronomer Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto at the Lowell Observatory in Arizona. The solar system had nine planets — a number that would stand for seventy-six years and define the childhood understanding of space for multiple generations. But in the 1990s and 2000s, astronomers began finding dozens of other icy objects in the same distant region as Pluto, culminating in the 2005 discovery of Eris — an object very similar to Pluto in size. The question was unavoidable: if Pluto was a planet, so were Eris and potentially dozens of other Kuiper Belt objects. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union convened a general meeting to vote on a formal definition of the word 'planet' for the first time in history. The initial proposal would have elevated Ceres, Eris, and Pluto's largest moon Charon to planet status, bringing the total to twelve. The final vote went the other way: Pluto was reclassified as a 'dwarf planet,' and the solar system's planet count dropped to eight. Planet Nine: A Mathematical Ghost In The Outer Solar System The story may not be over. In 2016, astronomers Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin at the California Institute of Technology announced evidence for a ninth planet — not yet observed directly, but inferred from the unusual clustering of trans-Neptunian objects in the Kuiper Belt. Several of these small icy bodies have orbits that appear to have been herded into alignment by the gravity of something large and unseen. Their modelling suggested a planet roughly four to four-and-a-half times the mass of Earth, orbiting the Sun at a distance of around 290 AU — nearly ten times further than Neptune. As of 2025, mass estimates had been refined to approximately 4.4 Earth masses. The Hunt Intensifies — And Gets More Complicated The search for Planet Nine has produced tantalising but contested results. In 2025, a possible detection candidate was identified in the constellation Eridanus using archival data from the IRAS and AKARI infrared satellites — a pair of faint dots consistent with a distant moving object. However, sceptics noted that a single pair of faint detections is far from conclusive. Separately, astronomers hunting for Planet Nine found possible hints of a different, previously unknown planet in the outer solar system — raising the possibility that there may be more than one undiscovered world out there. In June 2026, new research emerged that further complicated the picture, with a discovery appearing to challenge some of the orbital clustering evidence that originally motivated the Planet Nine hypothesis. The debate is very much alive. The Vera Rubin Observatory: The Best Chance Of An Answer The most likely resolution to the Planet Nine question will come from the Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which is currently conducting an unprecedented decade-long survey of the southern sky. If Planet Nine exists and is anywhere near the predicted position, Rubin's wide-field camera — the largest ever built for astronomy — has a strong chance of detecting it. Brown and Batygin, along with competing teams, expect the search to take up to five more years. If the ninth planet is confirmed, the solar system's count will change for the seventh time in recorded history. If it is not found, the clustering of Kuiper Belt objects that started the whole debate will need a different explanation — and astronomers will return to a solar system of eight, perhaps permanently.

When the American Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, humanity knew of only six planets. Within decades that number climbed to eleven, then collapsed, then grew again. Today it sits at eight — but a growing body of evidence suggests something large may be lurking at the edge of our solar system, waiting to push that number to nine.

'6 in 1776, 11 in 1800s, 8 today': Why Solar System's count keeps changing and may change again

Iran said on Wednesday (July 01) that part of its initial $6 billion in frozen assets will be used to purchase essential goods following talks in Doha on implementing the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington.&nbsp;Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said discussions with Qatari officials, including representatives of the Central Bank, focused on how part of the funds would be used.&nbsp;"During the meetings with Qatari officials, including the Central Bank, a number of issues related to the expenditure of part of the initial six billion dollars were reviewed," Gharibabadi said, according to the IRNA state news agency.&nbsp;"It was agreed that, based on the needs communicated by our country, the required goods would be purchased and made available to Iran."&nbsp;Under the memorandum of understanding that halted the war between Iran and the United States, Washington agreed to make Iran's frozen or restricted assets available as part of implementing the agreement. However, it remains unclear how the funds will be released, how the mechanism will operate, or when it will take effect.&nbsp;The announcement followed a round of talks in Doha, where the Iranian delegation met Qatari and Pakistani mediators to discuss implementation of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding with the United States.&nbsp;The $6 billion refers to part of Iran's oil revenues transferred from South Korea to restricted accounts in Qatar since 2023.&nbsp;Gharibabadi said that a meeting of the monitoring group tasked with overseeing the MoU’s implementation was held with the participation of senior negotiators from the three countries.&nbsp;“US violations of its commitments under Clause 1 of the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the cessation of war in Lebanon, reports of US efforts to reinforce equipment and forces in the region.”&nbsp;&nbsp;The deputy foreign minister also said the participants agreed that "a communication channel would be established by tomorrow" to report and record violations of the memorandum.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-tariff-blow-trump-refuses-to-extend-us-trade-pact-with-canada-and-mexico-he-negotiated-in-first-term-1782936096825">After tariff blow, Trump refuses to extend US trade pact with Canada and Mexico he negotiated in first term</a>&nbsp;Last month, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran alone would decide how to use the released assets, "in whatever way is most beneficial and favourable to the country".&nbsp;He also said the funds would "be available for Iran to freely use as it sees fit to supply the goods that the country needs".&nbsp;US Vice President JD Vance said in June that the United States and Qatar "have approval over that process" of the release of frozen funds. Vance also suggested the money could be used to buy US products, including agricultural goods such as soybeans.

The deputy foreign minister also said the participants agreed that "a communication channel would be established by tomorrow" to report and document violations of the memorandum.

Iran said on Wednesday (July 01) that part of its initial $6 billion in frozen assets will be used to purchase essential goods following talks in Doha on implementing the memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said discussions with Qatari officials, including representatives of the Central Bank, focused on how part of the funds would be used. "During the meetings with Qatari officials, including the Central Bank, a number of issues related to the expenditure of part of the initial six billion dollars were reviewed," Gharibabadi said, according to the IRNA state news agency. "It was agreed that, based on the needs communicated by our country, the required goods would be purchased and made available to Iran." Under the memorandum of understanding that halted the war between Iran and the United States, Washington agreed to make Iran's frozen or restricted assets available as part of implementing the agreement. However, it remains unclear how the funds will be released, how the mechanism will operate, or when it will take effect. The announcement followed a round of talks in Doha, where the Iranian delegation met Qatari and Pakistani mediators to discuss implementation of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding with the United States. The $6 billion refers to part of Iran's oil revenues transferred from South Korea to restricted accounts in Qatar since 2023. Gharibabadi said that a meeting of the monitoring group tasked with overseeing the MoU’s implementation was held with the participation of senior negotiators from the three countries. “US violations of its commitments under Clause 1 of the Memorandum of Understanding regarding the cessation of war in Lebanon, reports of US efforts to reinforce equipment and forces in the region.” The deputy foreign minister also said the participants agreed that "a communication channel would be established by tomorrow" to report and record violations of the memorandum. Also Read: After tariff blow, Trump refuses to extend US trade pact with Canada and Mexico he negotiated in first term Last month, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tehran alone would decide how to use the released assets, "in whatever way is most beneficial and favourable to the country". He also said the funds would "be available for Iran to freely use as it sees fit to supply the goods that the country needs". US Vice President JD Vance said in June that the United States and Qatar "have approval over that process" of the release of frozen funds. Vance also suggested the money could be used to buy US products, including agricultural goods such as soybeans.

The deputy foreign minister also said the participants agreed that "a communication channel would be established by tomorrow" to report and document violations of the memorandum.

Iran concludes Doha talks, to use frozen funds to buy 'necessary goods'

The United States will not renew its North American trade agreement with Canada and Mexico in its current form, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday. Instead of receiving a long-term extension, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will now undergo annual reviews while remaining in force until its scheduled expiry in 2036.&nbsp;The decision is expected to create fresh uncertainty for businesses across North America because supply chains, particularly in the automobile sector, remain closely integrated. Wednesday marked the deadline for the three countries to decide whether to extend the pact. Although Washington declined to renew it, negotiations will continue unless one of the member countries withdraws.&nbsp;The move follows a February 2026 US Supreme Court ruling that struck down the tariffs, saying the administration had exceeded its executive powers. The ruling came after President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Mexico and a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Canada on March 4, 2025. Canadian oil and energy products, however, faced a lower 10 per cent tariff.&nbsp;Trump negotiated the USMCA during his first term and signed it into law in 2020 as a replacement for the 1992 North American Free Trade Agreement.&nbsp;&nbsp;At the time, he described it as the "fairest, most balanced, and beneficial trade agreement we have ever signed into law". During his second term, however, he imposed tariffs on nearly all trading partners while keeping exemptions for products covered under the USMCA.&nbsp;"The United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form. As a result, the USMCA is not renewed," Greer said in a statement.&nbsp;"The United States will continue to engage with Mexico and Canada to address the agreement's shortcomings and our trade deficits with these countries," he added.&nbsp;A senior US official told reporters that narrowing trade deficits remained a key priority, alongside improving market access in Canada and Mexico. The official also highlighted ongoing disagreements over dairy and corn.&nbsp;Trump had already indicated in June that he was not "looking to renew" the agreement despite having negotiated and praised it during his first presidency.&nbsp;Canada and Mexico had both sought a 16-year extension of the USMCA. With the pact now subject to annual reviews instead of a longer renewal, negotiations on tariffs and sector-specific trade rules could continue for months or even years.

The Trump administration decided not to renew the North American trade pact with Canada and Mexico in its current form, despite the agreement having been negotiated during Trump's first term.

The United States will not renew its North American trade agreement with Canada and Mexico in its current form, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Wednesday. Instead of receiving a long-term extension, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will now undergo annual reviews while remaining in force until its scheduled expiry in 2036. The decision is expected to create fresh uncertainty for businesses across North America because supply chains, particularly in the automobile sector, remain closely integrated. Wednesday marked the deadline for the three countries to decide whether to extend the pact. Although Washington declined to renew it, negotiations will continue unless one of the member countries withdraws. The move follows a February 2026 US Supreme Court ruling that struck down the tariffs, saying the administration had exceeded its executive powers. The ruling came after President Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Mexico and a 25 per cent tariff on imports from Canada on March 4, 2025. Canadian oil and energy products, however, faced a lower 10 per cent tariff. Trump negotiated the USMCA during his first term and signed it into law in 2020 as a replacement for the 1992 North American Free Trade Agreement. At the time, he described it as the "fairest, most balanced, and beneficial trade agreement we have ever signed into law". During his second term, however, he imposed tariffs on nearly all trading partners while keeping exemptions for products covered under the USMCA. "The United States did not agree to renew the USMCA in its current form. As a result, the USMCA is not renewed," Greer said in a statement. "The United States will continue to engage with Mexico and Canada to address the agreement's shortcomings and our trade deficits with these countries," he added. A senior US official told reporters that narrowing trade deficits remained a key priority, alongside improving market access in Canada and Mexico. The official also highlighted ongoing disagreements over dairy and corn. Trump had already indicated in June that he was not "looking to renew" the agreement despite having negotiated and praised it during his first presidency. Canada and Mexico had both sought a 16-year extension of the USMCA. With the pact now subject to annual reviews instead of a longer renewal, negotiations on tariffs and sector-specific trade rules could continue for months or even years.

The Trump administration decided not to renew the North American trade pact with Canada and Mexico in its current form, despite the agreement having been negotiated during Trump's first term.

After tariff blow, Trump refuses to extend US trade pact with Canada and Mexico he negotiated in first term

Three members of a four-person crew aboard a US Navy MH 60S Sea Hawk helicopter were rescued after the aircraft made an "emergency water landing" in the Arabian Sea early on Wednesday, according to US Naval Forces Central Command. Search efforts are continuing for the fourth crew member, who remains unaccounted for.&nbsp;The twin-engine MH-60S Sea Hawk, which is used for search and rescue, special operations, combat support and other missions, was forced to land in the sea. US Naval Forces Central Command said there was "no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action."&nbsp;"Three of the helicopter’s four crew members have been recovered and are in stable condition aboard George H. W. Bush. U.S. Navy assets in the region are currently searching for other aircrewman still missing. The cause of the incident is under investigation," U.S. Naval Forces Central Command posted on X.&nbsp;

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">On July 1 at 3:30 a.m. ET, the aircrew of an MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) conducted an emergency water landing in the Arabian Sea. There is no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action. Three of the helicopter’s four crew…&mdash; U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) <a href="https://x.com/US5thFleet/status/2072356461489881505?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

The incident occurred at about 3:30 a.m. Eastern Time, or around 11 a.m. local time.&nbsp;The USS George H.W. Bush has been deployed in the Middle East since late April and remains one of two aircraft carriers operating in the region. While the United States has lifted its blockade on vessels travelling through the Strait of Hormuz, it continues to maintain a significant military presence there.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/highly-deplorable-and-targeted-india-condemns-demolition-of-gurudwara-in-pakistan-1782926524443">'Highly deplorable and targeted': India condemns demolition of Gurudwara in Pakistan</a>&nbsp;According to the last update provided to Congress in mid-May, the United States had lost 42 fixed-wing and rotary aircraft during Operation Epic Fury.&nbsp;That total does not include the Apache helicopter brought down by an Iranian drone in early June. Both personnel on board survived and were rescued. The episode later prompted the United States to carry out "self-defence strikes" against Iran.

US Naval Forces Central Command said there was no indication of hostile action. The helicopter was assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush, which has been deployed in the Middle East since late April due to the Iran war. 

Three members of a four-person crew aboard a US Navy MH 60S Sea Hawk helicopter were rescued after the aircraft made an "emergency water landing" in the Arabian Sea early on Wednesday, according to US Naval Forces Central Command. Search efforts are continuing for the fourth crew member, who remains unaccounted for. The twin-engine MH-60S Sea Hawk, which is used for search and rescue, special operations, combat support and other missions, was forced to land in the sea. US Naval Forces Central Command said there was "no indication the emergency was caused by hostile action." "Three of the helicopter’s four crew members have been recovered and are in stable condition aboard George H. W. Bush. U.S. Navy assets in the region are currently searching for other aircrewman still missing. The cause of the incident is under investigation," U.S. Naval Forces Central Command posted on X.

US Naval Forces Central Command said there was no indication of hostile action. The helicopter was assigned to the USS George H.W. Bush, which has been deployed in the Middle East since late April due to the Iran war.&nbsp;

US Navy helicopter makes emergency landing in Arabian Sea, one crew missing

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is in New Delhi for a three-day official visit. She will attend the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit and hold formal talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This trip comes amid growing tension in the Indo-Pacific, making the visit significant. Takaichi highlighted that India and Japan both share fundamental values and strategic interests. Defence is being seen as an important strategic node in the cooperation between the two nations, as Japan has abandoned its post-World War II pacifism, specifically since Takaichi took the reins of the country.&nbsp;<h2>What is this new post-pacifist Japan?</h2>Chinese media and officials frame Takaichi as completing the "Abe Doctrine," which regional analysts term as “Takaichi realism”, dismantling the legal and moral scaffolding of postwar pacifism and decades of self-imposed military limits. Japan is attempting to pivot from passive defence to proactive regional deterrence. Takaichi has been specifically leading the torch, working to bolster Japan's defence capabilities in the face of China's military buildup and North Korea's missile and nuclear programs.&nbsp;Her government has increased defence spending to a record 9 trillion yuan, roughly 2 per cent of the GDP and is partnering with regional powers on next-generation military technologies. In April 2026, Tokyo scrapped its ban on lethal weapons exports, saying no single country can protect its own peace and security alone. She is also pushing to revise Article 9, the constitutional clause which renounces war, after winning a super majority in the lower house in February 2026. She has asserted that she wants to initiate the revision by the end of 2026. Abe had considered his failure to amend it as his deepest political regret. Though Takaiachi faces political gridlock in the upper house and pushback from the public, she has taken it upon herself as a personal vow.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-iran-denuclearisation-talks-doha-qatar-1782920632414">Trump says US-Iran talks in Doha went well, claims progress on denuclearisation</a>On the contrary, many analysts suggest that this is just Japanese constitutional theatre; a symbolic housekeeping on something that's already in practice. Japan has quietly upgraded its military capability, implicating the ambiguity of Article 9. For example, reclassifying Izumo-class helicopter carriers to operate F-35B stealth fighters just by reinterpreting what is “minimum necessary self-defence”, similarly acquired long-range Tomahawk missiles under the quiet guise of "counterstrike capability". The Japan Self-Defence Forces are already among the top 10 military forces globally. It maintains one of the most technologically advanced militaries in the world, while avoiding a constitutional referendum and its political backlash.&nbsp;<h2>Where does New Delhi fit in this narrative?</h2>The US has become an increasingly unreliable partner ever since Donald Trump took over the office in 2025. On the other hand, China has increasingly become agressive on Taiwn. The recent Trump-Xi summit and the erratic handling of the $14 billion weapons deliveries to Taiwan have made Tokyo anxious. Trump is using Taiwan as a bargaining chip with China for trade leverage. Meanwhile, Trump's Secretary of War hinted that the US war with Iran has depleted its Tomahawk missile arsenal, so it will not be any time soon that the US will be able to deliver missile stockpiles to Japan. If there were not enough hints for Tokyo to seek other options.Entering New Delhi, which is a nuclear power and leveraging it as a deterrent at Beijing's Himalayan border is part of the “Takaichi realism” doctrine. Tokyo views New Delhi not just as an economic partner, but as a crucial, nuclear-armed strategic counterweight capable of balancing power in the Indo-Pacific. India is a nuclear-armed state that chose to remain outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), serving as the pragmatic vision of the restrictive post war pacifism. Further, the two nations are seeking to create a defence ecosystem, spanning military drones, stealth frigates, and semiconductor supply chains. The scope of collaboration is not limited, as Japan is pushing to institutionalise a Quad Defence Ministers’ Meeting in India to build on the existing foreign ministerial dialogue. While India occupies an interesting middle position, &nbsp;useful to Japan strategically, but not a security ally in the traditional sense, India has strong incentives to keep it that way. India maintains a strategic silence and does not take sides on Taiwan. It stayed silent even during Modi-Takaichi meetings on the G20 sidelines, despite the China-Japan diplomatic row. It remains to be seen how much New Delhi can risk angering Beijing by being part of a security alliance, as it has its own unresolved China relationship and tries to stabilise border relations.&nbsp;

Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi's India visit highlights Tokyo's post-pacifist security strategy, growing defence cooperation, and concerns over China.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is in New Delhi for a three-day official visit. She will attend the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit and hold formal talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This trip comes amid growing tension in the Indo-Pacific, making the visit significant. Takaichi highlighted that India and Japan both share fundamental values and strategic interests. Defence is being seen as an important strategic node in the cooperation between the two nations, as Japan has abandoned its post-World War II pacifism, specifically since Takaichi took the reins of the country. What is this new post-pacifist Japan? Chinese media and officials frame Takaichi as completing the "Abe Doctrine," which regional analysts term as “Takaichi realism”, dismantling the legal and moral scaffolding of postwar pacifism and decades of self-imposed military limits. Japan is attempting to pivot from passive defence to proactive regional deterrence. Takaichi has been specifically leading the torch, working to bolster Japan's defence capabilities in the face of China's military buildup and North Korea's missile and nuclear programs. Her government has increased defence spending to a record 9 trillion yuan, roughly 2 per cent of the GDP and is partnering with regional powers on next-generation military technologies. In April 2026, Tokyo scrapped its ban on lethal weapons exports, saying no single country can protect its own peace and security alone. She is also pushing to revise Article 9, the constitutional clause which renounces war, after winning a super majority in the lower house in February 2026. She has asserted that she wants to initiate the revision by the end of 2026. Abe had considered his failure to amend it as his deepest political regret. Though Takaiachi faces political gridlock in the upper house and pushback from the public, she has taken it upon herself as a personal vow. Also Read: Trump says US-Iran talks in Doha went well, claims progress on denuclearisation On the contrary, many analysts suggest that this is just Japanese constitutional theatre; a symbolic housekeeping on something that's already in practice. Japan has quietly upgraded its military capability, implicating the ambiguity of Article 9. For example, reclassifying Izumo-class helicopter carriers to operate F-35B stealth fighters just by reinterpreting what is “minimum necessary self-defence”, similarly acquired long-range Tomahawk missiles under the quiet guise of "counterstrike capability". The Japan Self-Defence Forces are already among the top 10 military forces globally. It maintains one of the most technologically advanced militaries in the world, while avoiding a constitutional referendum and its political backlash. Where does New Delhi fit in this narrative? The US has become an increasingly unreliable partner ever since Donald Trump took over the office in 2025. On the other hand, China has increasingly become agressive on Taiwn. The recent Trump-Xi summit and the erratic handling of the $14 billion weapons deliveries to Taiwan have made Tokyo anxious. Trump is using Taiwan as a bargaining chip with China for trade leverage. Meanwhile, Trump's Secretary of War hinted that the US war with Iran has depleted its Tomahawk missile arsenal, so it will not be any time soon that the US will be able to deliver missile stockpiles to Japan. If there were not enough hints for Tokyo to seek other options. Entering New Delhi, which is a nuclear power and leveraging it as a deterrent at Beijing's Himalayan border is part of the “Takaichi realism” doctrine. Tokyo views New Delhi not just as an economic partner, but as a crucial, nuclear-armed strategic counterweight capable of balancing power in the Indo-Pacific. India is a nuclear-armed state that chose to remain outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), serving as the pragmatic vision of the restrictive post war pacifism. Further, the two nations are seeking to create a defence ecosystem, spanning military drones, stealth frigates, and semiconductor supply chains. The scope of collaboration is not limited, as Japan is pushing to institutionalise a Quad Defence Ministers’ Meeting in India to build on the existing foreign ministerial dialogue. While India occupies an interesting middle position, useful to Japan strategically, but not a security ally in the traditional sense, India has strong incentives to keep it that way. India maintains a strategic silence and does not take sides on Taiwan. It stayed silent even during Modi-Takaichi meetings on the G20 sidelines, despite the China-Japan diplomatic row. It remains to be seen how much New Delhi can risk angering Beijing by being part of a security alliance, as it has its own unresolved China relationship and tries to stabilise border relations.

Japanese PM Sanae Takaichi's India visit highlights Tokyo's post-pacifist security strategy, growing defence cooperation, and concerns over China.

What is Sanae Takaichi's post-pacifist Japan and why does India matter?

Four Venezuelan police officers were arrested after being accused of looting cash from the rubble of a building that collapsed during the devastating twin earthquakes last week and are facing dismissal from service.&nbsp;Videos on social media showed enraged people trying to stop members of the scientific, penal and criminalistic investigation service corps (CICPC) helping themselves to a safe full of dollars from a ruined building in the state of La Guaira, which was hit the hardest.&nbsp;The CICPC said in a statement that four officers had been arrested and relieved of their duties, and disciplinary action for their “immediate dismissal” had been started.&nbsp;“In light of the recent events in the areas affected by the earthquakes in La Guaira state, it was confirmed that a group of officers, deviating from their duties and taking advantage of the rescue and humanitarian aid efforts, acted improperly by appropriating valuables found among the rubble,” the statement said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indian-techie-33-dies-as-his-car-gets-swept-away-in-kansas-flash-floods-1782921864067">Indian techie, 33, dies as his car gets swept away in Kansas flash floods</a>&nbsp;“This individual conduct, reprehensible and contrary to the fundamental values of our doctrine, directly undermines the institution’s prestige and public respect,” it added.&nbsp;Public anger is rising over the slow pace of the rescue efforts by the government as well as over the conduct of some members of the military and police.&nbsp;Volunteers said they are doing their best to locate survivors even though they just have shovels and ropes and are even using their bare hands, while some Venezuelan military and police personnel are looting, blocking aid and co-opting donations.&nbsp;Local people and national and international rescue teams continue to search for survivors after the back-to-back quakes killed almost 2,000 people, injured more than 10,000, and left tens of thousands missing.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-directs-meta-to-halt-whatsapp-usernames-feature-until-consultations-are-complete-1782918599679">India directs Meta to halt WhatsApp usernames feature until consultations are complete</a>&nbsp;A three-year-old boy was pulled alive from the rubble of a building in La Guaira on Tuesday, but since hopes of finding more survivors are fading.&nbsp;Hundreds of volunteers were still streaming into La Guaira, the disaster’s ground zero, on Wednesday to help in rescue efforts.&nbsp;Volunteers said they still had hope that more survivors could be found as miracles happen and some people can survive 10 days. They were shifting rubble and listening intently for any sounds of life.&nbsp;Meanwhile, senior government officials blamed misinformation for the growing civilian anger and ⁠reports of military personnel’s involvement in looting. They urged the people to ignore “manipulation strategies on social networks” and instead rely on official information.But some of the volunteer rescuers say they see little evidence of the authorities rushing to help, a week after the disaster hit.&nbsp;

Public anger is rising over the slow pace of the rescue efforts by the government and over the conduct of some members of the military and police. Volunteers said they are doing their best to locate survivors even though they just have shovels and ropes, while military and police are looting.

Four Venezuelan police officers were arrested after being accused of looting cash from the rubble of a building that collapsed during the devastating twin earthquakes last week and are facing dismissal from service. Videos on social media showed enraged people trying to stop members of the scientific, penal and criminalistic investigation service corps (CICPC) helping themselves to a safe full of dollars from a ruined building in the state of La Guaira, which was hit the hardest. The CICPC said in a statement that four officers had been arrested and relieved of their duties, and disciplinary action for their “immediate dismissal” had been started. “In light of the recent events in the areas affected by the earthquakes in La Guaira state, it was confirmed that a group of officers, deviating from their duties and taking advantage of the rescue and humanitarian aid efforts, acted improperly by appropriating valuables found among the rubble,” the statement said. Also Read: Indian techie, 33, dies as his car gets swept away in Kansas flash floods “This individual conduct, reprehensible and contrary to the fundamental values of our doctrine, directly undermines the institution’s prestige and public respect,” it added. Public anger is rising over the slow pace of the rescue efforts by the government as well as over the conduct of some members of the military and police. Volunteers said they are doing their best to locate survivors even though they just have shovels and ropes and are even using their bare hands, while some Venezuelan military and police personnel are looting, blocking aid and co-opting donations. Local people and national and international rescue teams continue to search for survivors after the back-to-back quakes killed almost 2,000 people, injured more than 10,000, and left tens of thousands missing. Also Read: India directs Meta to halt WhatsApp usernames feature until consultations are complete A three-year-old boy was pulled alive from the rubble of a building in La Guaira on Tuesday, but since hopes of finding more survivors are fading. Hundreds of volunteers were still streaming into La Guaira, the disaster’s ground zero, on Wednesday to help in rescue efforts. Volunteers said they still had hope that more survivors could be found as miracles happen and some people can survive 10 days. They were shifting rubble and listening intently for any sounds of life. Meanwhile, senior government officials blamed misinformation for the growing civilian anger and ⁠reports of military personnel’s involvement in looting. They urged the people to ignore “manipulation strategies on social networks” and instead rely on official information. But some of the volunteer rescuers say they see little evidence of the authorities rushing to help, a week after the disaster hit.

Public anger is rising over the slow pace of the rescue efforts by the government and over the conduct of some members of the military and police. Volunteers said they are doing their best to locate survivors even though they just have shovels and ropes, while military and police are looting.

Four Venezuelan police officers arrested for alleged looting from rubble, face sacking

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 1) for a 3-day visit to attend the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi. &nbsp;During the visit India and Japan are expected to discuss defence, economic security, semiconductors, critical minerals and Indo-Pacific security, among other issues. This will be Sanae Takaichi's first visit to India as Japan's Prime Minister.&nbsp;Takaichi's visit to India is important in the context that Japan is one of India's largest foreign investors with close to 1,400 Japanese companies operating in India. In terms of business both the countries did trade of approximately US$27.5 billion in FY 2025–26.&nbsp;Japan has invested heavily in sectors like infrastructure, manufacturing, finance, and clean energy which showcases the strategic partnership between the two countries.&nbsp;<h2>From playing drums to owning super bikes</h2>&nbsp;And Takaichi as the Prime minister of Japan is in India to strengthen the bilateral relations even further. But do we know that Takaichi other than having a long career in Japan's parliament and becoming the first woman Prime Minister of the country has interests in cars, bikes and loves playing drums?&nbsp;Yes, that's right. Born on March 7, 1961, in Yamatokōriyama, Takaichi, before entering politics worked as a television presenter, author, and legislative aide. It is in the early 1990s that she entered politics and later became a prominent member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.&nbsp;But along with politics Takaichi has varied interests. She has been a fan of heavy metal since her university days. She even played drums in a heavy metal band while studying.&nbsp;X Japan, B'z, Demon Kakka, and classic rock bands such as Deep Purple and Black Sabbath are her favourite bands&nbsp;ALSO READ: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-is-venezuela-frequently-hit-by-devastating-earthquakes-wion-decodes-reason-behind-major-seismic-events-1782392565819">Why is Venezuela frequently hit by devastating earthquakes? WION Decodes reason behind major seismic events</a>&nbsp;She is said to be a motorcycle enthusiast. In one of her interviews she said to have owned a Kawasaki Z400GP, a classic sport motorcycle from the 1980s. Her fondness for motorcycles has been widely noted in media profiles.&nbsp;She is well known for owning a 1991 Toyota Supra, which she bought new and drove for about 22 years. Earlier, she owned a Toyota Celica XX (the Japanese-market predecessor to the Supra). The Toyota Supra that Takaichi drove is now displayed in an automobile museum in Japan.&nbsp;As Japan's prime minister, her official government vehicle is a Toyota Century SUV, which is used for official duties rather than as a personal car.&nbsp;

Along with politics Takaichi has varied interests. She has been a fan of heavy metal since her university days. She even played drums in a heavy metal band while studying.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 1) for a 3-day visit to attend the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit in New Delhi. During the visit India and Japan are expected to discuss defence, economic security, semiconductors, critical minerals and Indo-Pacific security, among other issues. This will be Sanae Takaichi's first visit to India as Japan's Prime Minister. Takaichi's visit to India is important in the context that Japan is one of India's largest foreign investors with close to 1,400 Japanese companies operating in India. In terms of business both the countries did trade of approximately US$27.5 billion in FY 2025–26. Japan has invested heavily in sectors like infrastructure, manufacturing, finance, and clean energy which showcases the strategic partnership between the two countries. From playing drums to owning super bikes And Takaichi as the Prime minister of Japan is in India to strengthen the bilateral relations even further. But do we know that Takaichi other than having a long career in Japan's parliament and becoming the first woman Prime Minister of the country has interests in cars, bikes and loves playing drums? Yes, that's right. Born on March 7, 1961, in Yamatokōriyama, Takaichi, before entering politics worked as a television presenter, author, and legislative aide. It is in the early 1990s that she entered politics and later became a prominent member of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party. But along with politics Takaichi has varied interests. She has been a fan of heavy metal since her university days. She even played drums in a heavy metal band while studying. X Japan, B'z, Demon Kakka, and classic rock bands such as Deep Purple and Black Sabbath are her favourite bands ALSO READ: Why is Venezuela frequently hit by devastating earthquakes? WION Decodes reason behind major seismic events She is said to be a motorcycle enthusiast. In one of her interviews she said to have owned a Kawasaki Z400GP, a classic sport motorcycle from the 1980s. Her fondness for motorcycles has been widely noted in media profiles. She is well known for owning a 1991 Toyota Supra, which she bought new and drove for about 22 years. Earlier, she owned a Toyota Celica XX (the Japanese-market predecessor to the Supra). The Toyota Supra that Takaichi drove is now displayed in an automobile museum in Japan. As Japan's prime minister, her official government vehicle is a Toyota Century SUV, which is used for official duties rather than as a personal car.

Along with politics Takaichi has varied interests. She has been a fan of heavy metal since her university days. She even played drums in a heavy metal band while studying.

Motorcycles, fast sports cars and a drummer: The life of Japan PM Sanae Takaichi beyond politics

The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday (July 1) responded to reports of a 125-year-old gurdwara being demolished in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Calling the incident “highly deplorable and targeted” MEA urged the Pakistan government to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice.&nbsp;External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed grave concern over the destruction of sacred Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad along with reports of no meaningful action being taken by local authorities or the Evacuee Trust Property Board.&nbsp;"We have seen the deeply distressing reports regarding the demolition of the historic 125-year-old sacred Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad, Pakistan. We strongly condemn this highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism against a revered Sikh shrine. Its destruction, along with reports of no meaningful action being taken by local authorities or the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), is a matter of grave concern," said the MEA in its statement.<h2>“Systemic targeting of religious minorities”</h2>&nbsp;Jaiswal highlighted that such incidents have frequently come to light in Pakistan and called it a &nbsp;"systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan".&nbsp;"We call upon the Government of Pakistan to expeditiously investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice," he demanded.&nbsp;Also the MEA sought restoration of the demolished portions of the Gurdwara Sahib and its reconstruction at the earliest.&nbsp;Further it demanded the Pakistani government take care of its "minority communities and their places of worship, and put a decisive end to the prevailing environment of sectarian violence and religious intolerance."&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jaiswal highlighted that such incidents have frequently come to light in Pakistan and called it a systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday (July 1) responded to reports of a 125-year-old gurdwara being demolished in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Calling the incident “highly deplorable and targeted” MEA urged the Pakistan government to investigate the matter and bring the perpetrators to justice. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal expressed grave concern over the destruction of sacred Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad along with reports of no meaningful action being taken by local authorities or the Evacuee Trust Property Board. "We have seen the deeply distressing reports regarding the demolition of the historic 125-year-old sacred Gurdwara Sri Guru Singh Sabha Sahib in Farooqabad, Pakistan. We strongly condemn this highly deplorable and targeted act of vandalism against a revered Sikh shrine. Its destruction, along with reports of no meaningful action being taken by local authorities or the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), is a matter of grave concern," said the MEA in its statement. “Systemic targeting of religious minorities” Jaiswal highlighted that such incidents have frequently come to light in Pakistan and called it a "systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan". "We call upon the Government of Pakistan to expeditiously investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice," he demanded. Also the MEA sought restoration of the demolished portions of the Gurdwara Sahib and its reconstruction at the earliest. Further it demanded the Pakistani government take care of its "minority communities and their places of worship, and put a decisive end to the prevailing environment of sectarian violence and religious intolerance."

Jaiswal highlighted that such incidents have frequently come to light in Pakistan and called it a "systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship in Pakistan".

'Highly deplorable and targeted': India condemns demolition of Gurudwara in Pakistan

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that the indirect discussion held between the US and Iran in Doha via Qatar went well. Speaking to the reporters at the Joint Base Andrews, he claimed that talks about “denuclearisation of Iran” were progressing well and that Iran had "come ‌a long ‌way.""The denuclearisation of ​Iran is moving along well," Trump ​told reporters. “They've had very good meetings, and ⁠we'll see.”&nbsp;The US and Iranian officials held separate meetings in Doha with Qatari officials, as they seek to agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire.Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner and the US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, according to the Emir's office. While at the same time, US and Iranian officials are holding indirect, low-level technical talks through Qatari and Pakistani mediators, a diplomatic source told CNN.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/vihaan-srivastava-chembur-tree-collapse-family-demands-justice-1782916819650">'He was our sunshine': Family mourns Vihaan Srivastava after Chembur tree collapse</a>Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Iran would retaliate with an “immediate powerful response” to any Israeli attack, and demanded that the US restrain Israel.&nbsp;“POTUS (US President Donald Trump) has committed the US to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv,” Araghchi posted on X. “If they ignore their master, Iran will school them. Any threat against our people and leadership will receive immediate, powerful response,” he said.&nbsp;The US and Iran exchanged fire after a Singaporean vessel, Ever Lovely, was targeted by Iranian drones, which Iran targeted because of a dispute over shipping lanes. The situation quickly snowballed as the US launched initial retaliatory strikes against Iran for hitting the Singaporean vessel. Following those initial US strikes, Iran fired on a second merchant vessel, the Panama-flagged oil tanker MT Kiku. Trump then ordered the heavy bombardment of 10 Iranian military targets, and Iran retaliated by launching missiles at US assets in Kuwait and Bahrain.&nbsp;

Donald Trump said US-Iran denuclearisation talks are progressing well after indirect meetings in Doha, while Iran warned of a strong response to any Israeli attack.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that the indirect discussion held between the US and Iran in Doha via Qatar went well. Speaking to the reporters at the Joint Base Andrews, he claimed that talks about “denuclearisation of Iran” were progressing well and that Iran had "come ‌a long ‌way." "The denuclearisation of Iran is moving along well," Trump told reporters. “They've had very good meetings, and ⁠we'll see.” The US and Iranian officials held separate meetings in Doha with Qatari officials, as they seek to agree on the flow of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and secure a lasting ceasefire. Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner and the US envoy Steve Witkoff met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, according to the Emir's office. While at the same time, US and Iranian officials are holding indirect, low-level technical talks through Qatari and Pakistani mediators, a diplomatic source told CNN. Also Read: 'He was our sunshine': Family mourns Vihaan Srivastava after Chembur tree collapse Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Iran would retaliate with an “immediate powerful response” to any Israeli attack, and demanded that the US restrain Israel. “POTUS (US President Donald Trump) has committed the US to muzzling its pets in Tel Aviv,” Araghchi posted on X. “If they ignore their master, Iran will school them. Any threat against our people and leadership will receive immediate, powerful response,” he said. The US and Iran exchanged fire after a Singaporean vessel, Ever Lovely, was targeted by Iranian drones, which Iran targeted because of a dispute over shipping lanes. The situation quickly snowballed as the US launched initial retaliatory strikes against Iran for hitting the Singaporean vessel. Following those initial US strikes, Iran fired on a second merchant vessel, the Panama-flagged oil tanker MT Kiku. Trump then ordered the heavy bombardment of 10 Iranian military targets, and Iran retaliated by launching missiles at US assets in Kuwait and Bahrain.

Donald Trump said US-Iran denuclearisation talks are progressing well after indirect meetings in Doha, while Iran warned of a strong response to any Israeli attack.

Trump says US-Iran talks in Doha went well, claims progress on denuclearisation

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Australia on 9 July for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and with defence cooperation expected to dominate the agenda. The visit comes as both nations seek to strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, forged in 2020, against a backdrop of global uncertainty. Major announcements on defence with focus on energy, education, economics (3Es) are anticipated.&nbsp;Defence has increasingly been the area of convergence. The two sides are expected to renew and upgrade the 2009 Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation and finalise a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap, and commitments outlined in their 2024 joint statement. Recent high-level engagements, including the Tenth Bilateral Defence Policy Talks in May and the Second Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in June between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles, have built momentum.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indian-techie-33-dies-as-his-car-gets-swept-away-in-kansas-flash-floods-1782921864067">Indian techie, 33, dies as his car gets swept away in Kansas flash floods</a>&nbsp;The defence relationship has accelerated since the 2021 Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, enabling greater interoperability through joint exercises, strategic dialogues and training. Milestones in 2023 included Australia hosting Exercise Malabar, an Indian submarine visit to Perth, trilateral naval activities with Indonesia, and Indian Navy engagements at Australia’s Cocos Islands.&nbsp;India will be participating in Australian exercise Talisman Sabre 2027. Earlier this year, Australia participated in India’s Exercise Milan, and India participated in Australian exercises Kakadu in March. India has welcomed Australia’s invitation for participation in submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon. Both sides aim to operationalise Air-to-Air Refuelling Arrangement at Exercise Pitch Black.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-directs-meta-to-halt-whatsapp-usernames-feature-until-consultations-are-complete-1782918599679">India directs Meta to halt WhatsApp usernames feature until consultations are complete</a>&nbsp;Beyond security, the three “Es”, economics, energy and education, will feature prominently in talks. Trade and investment conversations during Australia visit are expected to involve business leaders, while cooperation on renewable energy, energy security, and university partnerships will be highlighted. Several leading Australian universities are establishing physical campuses in India. Deakin University became the first foreign institution to open a full branch campus in India, launching operations in Gujarat’s GIFT City in 2024. The University of Wollongong followed, opening its GIFT City campus later that year.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-invites-india-s-ruling-bjp-and-opposition-congress-to-khamenei-state-funeral-1782905079005">Iran invites India’s ruling BJP and opposition Congress to Khamenei state funeral</a>&nbsp;Cyber security and critical technologies are also slated for significant attention. Sports cooperation is another area of opportunity with Australia’s expertise in training, infrastructure, event management and technology seen as complementary to India’s growing ambitions in the sector.&nbsp;A major public highlight will be the “Modi meets Melbourne” community event on 9 July in Melbourne, hosted by the Australia India Foundation. Melbourne is home to one of Australia’s largest Indian communities. According to the 2021 census, nearly 976,000 people in Australia trace their ancestry to India, making the Indian diaspora the second-largest and fastest-growing in the country. Prime Minister Albanese previously described Indian PM Modi as “The Boss” during a 2023 community event in Sydney. This will be Modi’s third visit to Australia as Prime Minister, following the 2014 G20 Summit in Brisbane and a 2023 trip to Sydney.

Defence has increasingly been the area of convergence between India and Australia. The two sides are expected to upgrade the 2009 Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation and finalise a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap and commitments outlined in the 2024 joint statement.

New Delhi: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Australia on 9 July for bilateral talks with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and with defence cooperation expected to dominate the agenda. The visit comes as both nations seek to strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, forged in 2020, against a backdrop of global uncertainty. Major announcements on defence with focus on energy, education, economics (3Es) are anticipated. Defence has increasingly been the area of convergence. The two sides are expected to renew and upgrade the 2009 Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation and finalise a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap, and commitments outlined in their 2024 joint statement. Recent high-level engagements, including the Tenth Bilateral Defence Policy Talks in May and the Second Defence Ministers’ Dialogue in June between Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles, have built momentum. Also Read: Indian techie, 33, dies as his car gets swept away in Kansas flash floods The defence relationship has accelerated since the 2021 Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, enabling greater interoperability through joint exercises, strategic dialogues and training. Milestones in 2023 included Australia hosting Exercise Malabar, an Indian submarine visit to Perth, trilateral naval activities with Indonesia, and Indian Navy engagements at Australia’s Cocos Islands. India will be participating in Australian exercise Talisman Sabre 2027. Earlier this year, Australia participated in India’s Exercise Milan, and India participated in Australian exercises Kakadu in March. India has welcomed Australia’s invitation for participation in submarine rescue exercise Black Carillon. Both sides aim to operationalise Air-to-Air Refuelling Arrangement at Exercise Pitch Black. Also Read: India directs Meta to halt WhatsApp usernames feature until consultations are complete Beyond security, the three “Es”, economics, energy and education, will feature prominently in talks. Trade and investment conversations during Australia visit are expected to involve business leaders, while cooperation on renewable energy, energy security, and university partnerships will be highlighted. Several leading Australian universities are establishing physical campuses in India. Deakin University became the first foreign institution to open a full branch campus in India, launching operations in Gujarat’s GIFT City in 2024. The University of Wollongong followed, opening its GIFT City campus later that year. Also Read: Iran invites India’s ruling BJP and opposition Congress to Khamenei state funeral Cyber security and critical technologies are also slated for significant attention. Sports cooperation is another area of opportunity with Australia’s expertise in training, infrastructure, event management and technology seen as complementary to India’s growing ambitions in the sector. A major public highlight will be the “Modi meets Melbourne” community event on 9 July in Melbourne, hosted by the Australia India Foundation. Melbourne is home to one of Australia’s largest Indian communities. According to the 2021 census, nearly 976,000 people in Australia trace their ancestry to India, making the Indian diaspora the second-largest and fastest-growing in the country. Prime Minister Albanese previously described Indian PM Modi as “The Boss” during a 2023 community event in Sydney. This will be Modi’s third visit to Australia as Prime Minister, following the 2014 G20 Summit in Brisbane and a 2023 trip to Sydney.

Defence has increasingly been the area of convergence between India and Australia. The two sides are expected to upgrade the 2009 Joint Declaration on Defence and Security Cooperation and finalise a Maritime Security Collaboration Roadmap and commitments outlined in the 2024 joint statement.

Key defence announcements, Mega Melbourne diaspora event to mark PM Modi’s Australia visit

A 33-year-old Indian IT professional and student from Andhra Pradesh, Venkatesh Doppalapudi, died after his car was swept away by severe flash flood waters in Kansas, United States, on Saturday afternoon. He was a resident of Omaha in the state of Nebraska and held an H-1B visa.&nbsp;Doppalapudi was driving to Houston when severe storms had caused torrential rain in many parts of Kansas, and his vehicle got washed away by the flash floods.&nbsp;Eyewitnesses reported seeing a car submerged near a bridge with Doppalapudi still in it, emergency responders from Sumner County said.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-directs-meta-to-halt-whatsapp-usernames-feature-until-consultations-are-complete-1782918599679">India directs Meta to halt WhatsApp usernames feature until consultations are complete</a>&nbsp;Although rescue teams arrived, the extreme currents in the water prevented them from saving him.&nbsp;&nbsp;A multi-agency search was initiated following which police drones and the Kansas Highway Patrol Air Unit recovered Doppalapudi’s body the next day.&nbsp;The Consulate General of India in Houston expressed condolences and confirmed it is working closely with local authorities.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/over-100-eminent-people-from-india-pak-write-open-letter-to-modi-shehbaz-appeal-to-end-hostilities-1782916095110">Over 100 eminent people from India, Pak write open letter to Modi, Shehbaz; appeal to end hostilities</a>&nbsp;“The Consulate General of India in Houston is deeply saddened by the tragic demise of Mr. Venkatesh Doppalapudi, an Indian student from Andhra Pradesh, who lost his life in flash floodwaters in Kansas. The Consulate extends heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time,” the mission said.&nbsp;“The Consulate is in touch with the family and close contacts and is coordinating with the relevant authorities to provide all possible assistance,” it added in the statement.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-invites-india-s-ruling-bjp-and-opposition-congress-to-khamenei-state-funeral-1782905079005">Iran invites India’s ruling BJP and opposition Congress to Khamenei state funeral</a>&nbsp;The Houston Consulate is currently coordinating with Kansas state law enforcement and family representatives to complete necessary legal formalities and facilitate the repatriation of his remains.&nbsp;Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help bring his remains to India so that his family can perform his last rites. The money raised will be used to fund the transportation cost, funeral and other expenses.

Venkatesh Doppalapudi from Andhra Pradesh was driving to Houston when severe storms had caused torrential rain in many parts of Kansas, and his vehicle got washed away by the flash floods. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a car submerged near a bridge with Doppalapudi still in it.

A 33-year-old Indian IT professional and student from Andhra Pradesh, Venkatesh Doppalapudi, died after his car was swept away by severe flash flood waters in Kansas, United States, on Saturday afternoon. He was a resident of Omaha in the state of Nebraska and held an H-1B visa. Doppalapudi was driving to Houston when severe storms had caused torrential rain in many parts of Kansas, and his vehicle got washed away by the flash floods. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a car submerged near a bridge with Doppalapudi still in it, emergency responders from Sumner County said. Also Read: India directs Meta to halt WhatsApp usernames feature until consultations are complete Although rescue teams arrived, the extreme currents in the water prevented them from saving him. A multi-agency search was initiated following which police drones and the Kansas Highway Patrol Air Unit recovered Doppalapudi’s body the next day. The Consulate General of India in Houston expressed condolences and confirmed it is working closely with local authorities. Also Read: Over 100 eminent people from India, Pak write open letter to Modi, Shehbaz; appeal to end hostilities “The Consulate General of India in Houston is deeply saddened by the tragic demise of Mr. Venkatesh Doppalapudi, an Indian student from Andhra Pradesh, who lost his life in flash floodwaters in Kansas. The Consulate extends heartfelt condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time,” the mission said. “The Consulate is in touch with the family and close contacts and is coordinating with the relevant authorities to provide all possible assistance,” it added in the statement. Also Read: Iran invites India’s ruling BJP and opposition Congress to Khamenei state funeral The Houston Consulate is currently coordinating with Kansas state law enforcement and family representatives to complete necessary legal formalities and facilitate the repatriation of his remains. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help bring his remains to India so that his family can perform his last rites. The money raised will be used to fund the transportation cost, funeral and other expenses.

Venkatesh Doppalapudi from Andhra Pradesh was driving to Houston when severe storms had caused torrential rain in many parts of Kansas, and his vehicle got washed away by the flash floods. Eyewitnesses reported seeing a car submerged near a bridge with Doppalapudi still in it.

Indian techie, 33, dies as his car gets swept away in Kansas flash floods

The strategic calculus in the Indo-Pacific is rapidly shifting as Japan shifts its defence policy away from being a pacifist state and India emerges as a pivotal security partner. India and Japan grow in cohesion and this expanding Special Strategic and Global Partnership is causing a change that expansionist states and states exporting terror to the world, cannot afford to ignore.<h2>Rise of the India-Japan league</h2> Japan-India ties have evolved over two decades as one of the most prominent partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region. Post WWII, Japan was mandated to adopt strict pacifism prohibiting it from maintaining military forces with war potential. But with the rise of China in the last two decades and rapid increase in regional threats, Japan has been pushing for a more hawkish defense posture and tied up closely with India. Viewing India as an economic and defence partner, the countries adopted closer collaboration on maritime security, intelligence sharing with joint exercises, aimed at ensuring the safety of the Indo-Pacific. The Tokyo Declaration for India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership of September 2014 and the Memorandum of Defence Cooperation and Exchanges, has provided significant impetus to the defence cooperation. These efforts also aligned with India’s interest in strengthening its defence relationships and reducing its dependence on traditional partners. The purposeful collaboration very effectively counterbalances China’s growing regional influence, placing India at the cornerstone of Japan's Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) strategy. <h2>Pakistan's mounting fears</h2> Japan and India associate closely for India's civil nuclear program with Japanese firms supplying nuclear materials and cutting-edge reactor technologies to India. The India-Japan Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy entered into force on July 20, 2017. The agreement paved the way for enhanced cooperation in energy security and clean energy. Japan has grown increasingly vocal in its support for India's national security, publicly condemning cross-border terrorism. Clearly, that would irk Pakistan. In Fact, the defence ministers of both countries had a meeting in New Delhi, hours before Op Sindoor was launched in May 2025. According to SIPRI, India may have started deploying a nuclear warheads with operational forces for the first time, with an estimated 12 warheads. There is no confirmation of this report from Indian authorities, yet Pakistan seems concerned.<h2>Indo-Pacific: Shifting the power balance</h2> India and Japan are finalising co-production of the advanced UNICORN radar to deepen defense ties.It will improve naval stealth capabilities as it is considered among the most technologically advanced antennas in the world. But India was the second Asian nation to have such an agreement with Tokyo, first was the Philippines, which is already armed with India's formidable supersonic cruise missile, the Brahmos. Vietnam and Indonesia will also be priding themselves with Brahmos, which effectively makes four nations in the Indo-Pacific armed with this warhead. And all these nations have similar woes with a common state.

While Japan provides the eyes, India provides missiles as ASEAN nations keep a closer watch on China in the South China Sea.

While Japan provides the eyes, India provides missiles as ASEAN nations keep a closer watch on China in the South China Sea.

India-Japan alter balance of power in the Indo-Pacific

More than a hundred prominent people, including politicians and public figures, from India and Pakistan have written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif, appealing them to take concrete and sustained steps towards restoring peace, normalcy, dialogue and normal bilateral relations between the two countries. The open letter, issued by the Centre for Peace and Progress, has been signed by 117 people—61 from India and 56 from Pakistan—and urges the two governments to end the prolonged hostility that is denying opportunities, prosperity and a secure future to millions of young people.&nbsp;The Indian signatories included National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, RJD MP Manoj Jha, and former TMC minister and current AJUP leader Humayun Kabir.&nbsp;Among the Pakistani signatories were former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, National Assembly member Isphanyar Bhandara, and nuclear physicist and author Pervez Hoodbhoy.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/decoding-japan-s-soft-power-and-cultural-influence-india-others-tend-to-overlook-1782901121503">Decoding Japan’s soft power and cultural influence India, others tend to overlook</a>&nbsp;The letter urges both PMs to restore full diplomatic relations by reinstating High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad, resuming normal visa services and reopening airspace for commercial flights.&nbsp;The signatories also demand reopening of the Attari-Wagah land border for trade and travel, revival of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and other cross-border connectivity initiatives.&nbsp;“India and Pakistan together are home to nearly one-fifth of humanity. A large proportion of our population is young. The people of both countries deserve a future defined by peace, development, connectivity and cooperation, rather than perpetual mistrust and confrontation,” says the letter.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-invites-india-s-ruling-bjp-and-opposition-congress-to-khamenei-state-funeral-1782905079005">Iran invites India’s ruling BJP and opposition Congress to Khamenei state funeral</a>&nbsp;“Decades of estrangement has hindered our collective potential and imposed significant social, economic and human costs. We believe that sustained engagement and dialogue remain the only viable path to resolving differences and building a stable and prosperous region,” the letter adds.&nbsp;The appeal via the open letter comes even as New Delhi has maintained that its approach towards Pakistan remains unchanged, asserting that “terror and talks cannot coexist and terror and trade cannot go hand in hand” while making clear that any improvement in bilateral ties hinges on an end to cross-border terrorism.&nbsp;The signatories also call for resuming a comprehensive bilateral dialogue on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, revisiting the framework negotiated between 2004 and 2007, pursuing demilitarisation and de-escalation, and addressing the legitimate security concerns of both countries.They also urged the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, access to Sharada Peeth in Pakistan's Neelum Valley and easier travel to religious and cultural heritage sites on both sides of the border as confidence-building measures.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/50-biz-honchos-accompanying-japan-s-pm-to-delhi-eager-to-ride-on-india-s-growth-story-1782768835501">50 biz honchos accompanying Japan’s PM to Delhi, eager to ride on India’s growth story</a>&nbsp;“We respectfully request you to listen to the aspirations of common people and choose engagement over isolation, dialogue over hostility and cooperation over confrontation. The future of South Asia should be shaped not by division and conflict, but by peace, prosperity and shared progress,” the letter says.&nbsp;“This appeal is not an endorsement of any political position. It is a call to place the welfare, aspirations and future of nearly two billion people above conflict, confrontation, and division. We believe that peace, dialogue and cooperation offer the surest path towards a stable, prosperous and secure South Asia,” it added.

The appeal comes even as New Delhi has maintained that its approach towards Pakistan remains unchanged, asserting that terror and talks cannot coexist and terror and trade cannot go hand in hand while making clear that any improvement in ties hinges on an end to cross-border terrorism.

More than a hundred prominent people, including politicians and public figures, from India and Pakistan have written an open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif, appealing them to take concrete and sustained steps towards restoring peace, normalcy, dialogue and normal bilateral relations between the two countries. The open letter, issued by the Centre for Peace and Progress, has been signed by 117 people—61 from India and 56 from Pakistan—and urges the two governments to end the prolonged hostility that is denying opportunities, prosperity and a secure future to millions of young people. The Indian signatories included National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, RJD MP Manoj Jha, and former TMC minister and current AJUP leader Humayun Kabir. Among the Pakistani signatories were former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, National Assembly member Isphanyar Bhandara, and nuclear physicist and author Pervez Hoodbhoy. Also Read: Decoding Japan’s soft power and cultural influence India, others tend to overlook The letter urges both PMs to restore full diplomatic relations by reinstating High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad, resuming normal visa services and reopening airspace for commercial flights. The signatories also demand reopening of the Attari-Wagah land border for trade and travel, revival of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and other cross-border connectivity initiatives. “India and Pakistan together are home to nearly one-fifth of humanity. A large proportion of our population is young. The people of both countries deserve a future defined by peace, development, connectivity and cooperation, rather than perpetual mistrust and confrontation,” says the letter. Also Read: Iran invites India’s ruling BJP and opposition Congress to Khamenei state funeral “Decades of estrangement has hindered our collective potential and imposed significant social, economic and human costs. We believe that sustained engagement and dialogue remain the only viable path to resolving differences and building a stable and prosperous region,” the letter adds. The appeal via the open letter comes even as New Delhi has maintained that its approach towards Pakistan remains unchanged, asserting that “terror and talks cannot coexist and terror and trade cannot go hand in hand” while making clear that any improvement in bilateral ties hinges on an end to cross-border terrorism. The signatories also call for resuming a comprehensive bilateral dialogue on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, revisiting the framework negotiated between 2004 and 2007, pursuing demilitarisation and de-escalation, and addressing the legitimate security concerns of both countries. They also urged the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, access to Sharada Peeth in Pakistan's Neelum Valley and easier travel to religious and cultural heritage sites on both sides of the border as confidence-building measures. Also Read: 50 biz honchos accompanying Japan’s PM to Delhi, eager to ride on India’s growth story “We respectfully request you to listen to the aspirations of common people and choose engagement over isolation, dialogue over hostility and cooperation over confrontation. The future of South Asia should be shaped not by division and conflict, but by peace, prosperity and shared progress,” the letter says. “This appeal is not an endorsement of any political position. It is a call to place the welfare, aspirations and future of nearly two billion people above conflict, confrontation, and division. We believe that peace, dialogue and cooperation offer the surest path towards a stable, prosperous and secure South Asia,” it added.

The appeal comes even as New Delhi has maintained that its approach towards Pakistan remains unchanged, asserting that terror and talks cannot coexist and terror and trade cannot go hand in hand while making clear that any improvement in ties hinges on an end to cross-border terrorism.

Over 100 eminent people from India, Pak write open letter to Modi, Shehbaz; appeal to end hostilities

If you have watched Japanese shows, movies, or even cartoons, the world-famous Doraemon, for example, you may have noticed how often they highlight the time. Characters worry about being late, check their watches, or rush to meet deadlines. These moments hint at how deeply Japan values punctuality.&nbsp;When we talk about punctuality, being on time, the first country that comes to mind should be Japan. Across the world, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or even 30 minutes late can be casually ignored. But in Japan, you’re expected to be on time, not early, not late, but exactly on time. Rooted in culture, this respect for time touches every aspect of polite and punctual Japanese society.Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is visiting India from July 1 to 3 for the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, and as these diplomatic talks unfold in the capital city of India, here we take a look at Japan's punctuality as culture. &nbsp;<h3>Is being late in Japan rude?</h3>Japanese punctuality is renowned across the globe, but it’s not just about the clock. Being on time in Japan goes far beyond arriving at a specific moment. It’s treated as a form of respect for the person you’re meeting, for the gathering, for your workplace, and for the work you’re doing.&nbsp;You’re not just respecting time. You’re not respecting others. When everyone honours time, systems run smoothly, trust builds, and relationships stay balanced. In Japan, arriving 10 minutes before the scheduled time is considered appropriate, and showing up exactly on time can still be seen as late. But how serious are people and the government about punctuality? To see for yourself, you must visit Japan. There, trains arrive precisely when scheduled.

Picture of an office in Japan

<h3>The railway issues an apology for being late</h3>In Japan, railway operators issue public apologies when trains are delayed. even by just a few minutes. In many countries, such a delay would go unnoticed. This happens because punctuality is a cornerstone of the country’s transport system. Not only that, but delays are extremely rare. When they do happen, passengers are often given delay certificates as proof to show their bosses.&nbsp;Also read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/the-silent-magic-of-studio-ghibli-why-indian-audiences-keep-coming-back-1782910641153"> The silent magic of Studio Ghibli: Why Indian audiences keep coming back</a>

Picture showing inside view of public transport in Japan

<h3>What does meiwaku mean?</h3>In the Japanese concept, it roughly translates to "causing trouble," and doing something that brings inconveniences and burdens to others. If you are arriving late, it has often been viewed as causing meiwaku because you have troubled another person by making them wait. So it is the Japanese principle of avoiding actions that cause trouble for others, and being considerate enough for others has been taken as equally important in everyday life.&nbsp;Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/japan-beyond-tokyo-and-kyoto-the-ultimate-underrated-itinerary-for-indian-travellers-1782904060631">Japan beyond Tokyo and Kyoto: The ultimate underrated itinerary for Indian travellers</a><h3>How do people manage punctuality?</h3>This habit of arriving on time and being punctual is instilled from a young age when children are in school, reinforced by strict policies and expectations. Companies provide training, and employees are expected to manage their time effectively, often staying late if necessary. People in Japan are in habit of scheduling their activities, event and everything. So that things don't get messed up.&nbsp;

Picture of the Bullet train

<h3>What's the biggest example of punctuality in Japan?</h3>To experience this in Japan, the easiest thing for a tourist to do is travel on the bullet train. You will observe how disciplined everything is, trains arrive on schedule despite the chaotic things, and every part of the system runs smoothly and in perfect balance.<h3>What’s the message for India here?</h3>In India, delays are often considered part of daily life. They’re accepted and casually talked about. But because of this, the country and its people miss the importance of time, the value that every minute and second holds. In Japan, punctuality is practiced in the name of respect. It helps save time, organize life, and keep society running smoothly. Punctuality should not be viewed merely as a matter of personal discipline, but as a way of respecting others’ time. If adopted widely, it could help improve workplace efficiency, public services, and daily life chores.&nbsp;

Why is a 10-minute delay such a big deal in Japan? Why are people always on time, and why do railway companies sometimes issue public apologies for even minor delays? On the sidelines of the Japan-India Summit, here's a look at what Japan's culture of punctuality can teach Indian public life.

If you have watched Japanese shows, movies, or even cartoons, the world-famous Doraemon, for example, you may have noticed how often they highlight the time. Characters worry about being late, check their watches, or rush to meet deadlines. These moments hint at how deeply Japan values punctuality. When we talk about punctuality, being on time, the first country that comes to mind should be Japan. Across the world, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, or even 30 minutes late can be casually ignored. But in Japan, you’re expected to be on time, not early, not late, but exactly on time. Rooted in culture, this respect for time touches every aspect of polite and punctual Japanese society. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is visiting India from July 1 to 3 for the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, and as these diplomatic talks unfold in the capital city of India, here we take a look at Japan's punctuality as culture. Is being late in Japan rude? Japanese punctuality is renowned across the globe, but it’s not just about the clock. Being on time in Japan goes far beyond arriving at a specific moment. It’s treated as a form of respect for the person you’re meeting, for the gathering, for your workplace, and for the work you’re doing. You’re not just respecting time. You’re not respecting others. When everyone honours time, systems run smoothly, trust builds, and relationships stay balanced. In Japan, arriving 10 minutes before the scheduled time is considered appropriate, and showing up exactly on time can still be seen as late. But how serious are people and the government about punctuality? To see for yourself, you must visit Japan. There, trains arrive precisely when scheduled.

Why is a 10-minute delay such a big deal in Japan? Why are people always on time, and why do railway companies sometimes issue public apologies for even minor delays? On the sidelines of the Japan-India Summit, here's a look at what Japan's culture of punctuality can teach Indian public life.

Why a 10-minute delay is a big deal in Japan - and what India can learn from its culture of punctuality

At least six people have reportedly died, and many others were injured in a “raging fire” in a 10-storey block of flats in the Linkoeroever neighbourhood of Antwerp. The block was housing more than 200 people in more than 80 apartments. The reason for the fire remains unclear, but it was caused by a technical failure on the ground floor. Emergency services received reports of a "raging fire" at approximately 9:53 am local time.Residents said that they were unable to get out of the building on their own and were required to be rescued. Rescuers were seen lowering people using a rope, as reported by Reuters. &nbsp;"First, the electricity went out, and three minutes later, we got a fire alarm. By then, there was already smoke in the hallways. We tried to get down on our own, but we couldn't manage it anymore. We barricaded ourselves in our apartment and waited on the terrace. About 10 minutes later, the fire department came to rescue us from the terrace with their fire ladder," said Geert Dewulf, who lives on the tenth floor, to the Belgian broadcaster VRTNWS.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">JUST IN: Multiple people dead, several others seriously injured after an apartment building fire in Antwerp, Belgium. <a href="https://t.co/xBSQ5kTbdO">pic.twitter.com/xBSQ5kTbdO</a>&mdash; Scope Report (@ScopeReport_) <a href="https://x.com/ScopeReport_/status/2072271733076181331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 1, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/carnegie-great-immigrants-great-americans-2026-indian-americans-1782908469553">Four Indian Americans named to Carnegie's Great Immigrants, Great Americans 2026 list</a>Belgian Prime &nbsp;Minister Bart De Wever has extended his gratitude to the early responders. He shared condolences with the victims, "thoughts are with the victims and the evacuated residents of the terrible fire on Linkeroever".“My deep appreciation goes out to the emergency services who are striving to help the many affected people as quickly and safely as possible, and who are working hard to bring the fire under control,” said the Prime Minister Bart De Wever. A formal judicial investigation has been launched to determine the timeline and mechanics of the technical failure that led to the fire.&nbsp;

At least six people were killed after a fire ripped through a 10-storey apartment building in Antwerp, Belgium. Authorities have launched an investigation.

At least six people have reportedly died, and many others were injured in a “raging fire” in a 10-storey block of flats in the Linkoeroever neighbourhood of Antwerp. The block was housing more than 200 people in more than 80 apartments. The reason for the fire remains unclear, but it was caused by a technical failure on the ground floor. Emergency services received reports of a "raging fire" at approximately 9:53 am local time. Residents said that they were unable to get out of the building on their own and were required to be rescued. Rescuers were seen lowering people using a rope, as reported by Reuters. "First, the electricity went out, and three minutes later, we got a fire alarm. By then, there was already smoke in the hallways. We tried to get down on our own, but we couldn't manage it anymore. We barricaded ourselves in our apartment and waited on the terrace. About 10 minutes later, the fire department came to rescue us from the terrace with their fire ladder," said Geert Dewulf, who lives on the tenth floor, to the Belgian broadcaster VRTNWS.

At least six people were killed after a fire ripped through a 10-storey apartment building in Antwerp, Belgium. Authorities have launched an investigation.

Six killed in Antwerp apartment fire as blaze engulfs 10-storey residential block

Four Indian Americans were included in Carnegie Corporation of New York's prestigious "Great Immigrants, Great Americans" list for 2026. This includes cybersecurity executive Nikesh Arora, Harvard professor Mahzarin Banaji, Harvard Medical School professor Dr Sanjiv Chopra and Vertex Pharmaceuticals President and CEO Reshma Kewalramani. The 2026 class includes 25 naturalised citizens from 21 countries and was announced just ahead of the US's 250th anniversary of independence. These people are recognised for their extraordinary contribution to American society.Nikesh was born in Uttar Pradesh and immigrated to pursue his graduate studies in the US in the 1990s. He has been serving as the chairman and chief executive officer of the American cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks since June 2018. As a Chairman, he increased the valuation of the company from $18 million to $225 billion. Mahzarin Banaji is widely known in the Academic circle for popularising the concept of implicit bias, and created the Implicit Association Test (IAT) along with three other scholars. She is a Social Psychologist at Harvard University. Born in New Delhi, Chopra is renowned as a liver disease specialist and educator at Harvard Medical School, while Mumbai-born Kewalramani leads Vertex Pharmaceuticals as its president and chief executive.Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-big-beautiful-bill-student-loan-changes-july-1-1782903055163">Trump's Big Beautiful Bill brings sweeping changes to US student loans from July 1</a>Indian Americans frequently feature in this campaign. Most notable names include Astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan and civil rights advocate Manjusha P. Kulkarni in 2025, while other prominent Indian origin people to be honoured are Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, economist Gita Gopinath, and Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee

Nikesh Arora, Mahzarin Banaji, Dr Sanjiv Chopra and Reshma Kewalramani have been named to Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants, Great Americans 2026 list.

Four Indian Americans were included in Carnegie Corporation of New York's prestigious "Great Immigrants, Great Americans" list for 2026. This includes cybersecurity executive Nikesh Arora, Harvard professor Mahzarin Banaji, Harvard Medical School professor Dr Sanjiv Chopra and Vertex Pharmaceuticals President and CEO Reshma Kewalramani. The 2026 class includes 25 naturalised citizens from 21 countries and was announced just ahead of the US's 250th anniversary of independence. These people are recognised for their extraordinary contribution to American society. Nikesh was born in Uttar Pradesh and immigrated to pursue his graduate studies in the US in the 1990s. He has been serving as the chairman and chief executive officer of the American cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks since June 2018. As a Chairman, he increased the valuation of the company from $18 million to $225 billion. Mahzarin Banaji is widely known in the Academic circle for popularising the concept of implicit bias, and created the Implicit Association Test (IAT) along with three other scholars. She is a Social Psychologist at Harvard University. Born in New Delhi, Chopra is renowned as a liver disease specialist and educator at Harvard Medical School, while Mumbai-born Kewalramani leads Vertex Pharmaceuticals as its president and chief executive. Also Read: Trump's Big Beautiful Bill brings sweeping changes to US student loans from July 1 Indian Americans frequently feature in this campaign. Most notable names include Astrophysicist Priyamvada Natarajan and civil rights advocate Manjusha P. Kulkarni in 2025, while other prominent Indian origin people to be honoured are Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, former US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, economist Gita Gopinath, and Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee

Nikesh Arora, Mahzarin Banaji, Dr Sanjiv Chopra and Reshma Kewalramani have been named to Carnegie Corporation of New York's Great Immigrants, Great Americans 2026 list.

Four Indian Americans named to Carnegie's Great Immigrants, Great Americans 2026 list

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Why a 10-minute delay is a big deal in Japan - and what India can learn