NASA's Webb Telescope Detects Carbon Dioxide On Surface Of Pluto's Largest Moon Charon

NEW YORK, Oct 2: Scientists utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope have made a groundbreaking discovery on Charon, Pluto's largest moon. For the first time, researchers have detected carbon dioxide on Charon's frozen surface, according to a study published in Nature Communications.

Led by the Southwest Research Institute, the team found traces of carbon dioxide and hydrogen peroxide on the moon, which is roughly half the size of Pluto. This breakthrough discovery builds upon previous findings of ice, ammonia, and organic compounds on Charon.

The study explains that hydrogen peroxide forms when ice is broken down by charged particles, releasing hydrogen and oxygen atoms that combine. This highly reactive compound is commonly used in bleaches and disinfectants.

The presence of the chemical suggests Charon's icy surface is altered by ultra-violet light and solar wind from the distant Sun, according to the study. The discovery sheds new light on Charon's composition and chemical processes, offering valuable insights into the Pluto system's mysterious and icy landscape.

"The detection of carbon dioxide was a satisfying confirmation of our expectations. The detection of hydrogen peroxide on Charon was unexpected. I honestly did not anticipate finding evidence of it on the surface," said Silvia Protopapa, lead author of the study.

"Every small body in the outer solar system is a unique piece of a larger puzzle that scientists are trying to put together," Protopapa added.

Pluto, once hailed as the ninth and final planet in our Solar System, underwent a reclassification in 2006. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) convened to establish a formal definition of a planet, resulting in Pluto's demotion to dwarf planet status.

Charon was first discovered in 1978 by James Christy and Robert Harrington at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. This moon is remarkably similar to Pluto, earning it the nickname "Pluto's smaller twin." Measuring approximately 1,200 kilometres in diameter, Charon is half the size of Pluto, making it the largest known satellite relative to its parent body in our Solar System.

Charon and Pluto's orbital dance is unique. While Charon orbits Pluto, the pair also spins around a central point, resembling a double dwarf planet system. This contrasts with the Earth-Moon system, where the Moon orbits Earth without affecting its position. Pluto's failure to clear its orbit due to Charon's gravitational influence contributed to its reclassification as a dwarf planet.

'I'm A Rapist, She Did Not Deserve This': Man Who Let 50 Men Rape His Wife

AVIGNON (France), Sept 17: "I am a rapist," a 71-year-old Frenchman accused of drugging his wife so he and scores of strangers could assault her told a court Tuesday, returning to the dock after being ill for around a week.

Dominique Pelicot used a cane as he slowly entered the courtroom in the southern city of Avignon, before sitting on a blue armchair to give him enough comfort to take part in the hearings.

"I am a rapist, like the others in this room," Pelicot said, referring to the 50 other defendants in the mass trial -- men he allegedly recruited online to rape his then-wife Gisele Pelicot.

"They all knew" that he was inviting them to rape her, he said.

But he added: "She did not deserve this."

Dominique Pelicot is accused of administering anti-anxiety drugs to Gisele over a period of almost a decade, from 2011 to 2020.

While she was unconscious, he would rape her and recruit dozens of other men he met online to do the same.

Dominique Pelicot has admitted the charges, but Tuesday is the first time he has spoken at any length since the trial began on September 2.

The court may also hear more from Gisele Pelicot, who was present in the courtroom alongside Dominique's brother Joel.

Beatrice Zavarro, the defendant's lawyer, said on Monday that he was suffering from "a clot in the bladder" and the beginning of a kidney infection.

But a medical exam ordered by the presiding judge found that he was in a fit state to appear in court, avoiding a delay of weeks or even months to the hearings.

Adjustments would be made to the "sequencing of the hearings" and Dominique Pelicot would get "regular rest", Zavarro said, adding that the health complaints were not an attempt by her client to escape justice.

Dominique Pelicot's testimony will be decisive for the 50 other men aged 26 to 74 on trial, four of whose cases are set to be heard in the coming days.

Some of the accused have admitted that he told them he was drugging his then-wife, while others claim they believed they were participating in a swinger couple's fantasy.

The case has prompted outrage across France, with thousands demonstrating in cities at the weekend to demand an end to rape and support Gisele Pelicot.

She requested that the trial be open to the public to raise awareness about the use of drugs to commit sexual abuse.

"Thanks to you I have the strength to see this fight through to the end," Gisele told demonstrators Monday.

GOPIO-Metro Washington Hosts Bilingual Poetry Session

By Deepak Arora

WASHINGTON D.C., Sept 1:

GOPIO-Metro Washington hosted the 16th Annual Independence Day bilingual poetry session (Mushaira-Kavi Sammelan) last Sunday at the Central Library in Arlington, Virginia, inaugurated by Dr. A. Abdulla.

In his opening remarks, Dr. Abdullah emphasized the significance of celebrating the independence of the entire Subcontinent, while reflecting on the challenges that have persisted over time.

He noted, “Organizing such literary and cultural activities is like lighting small candles in our hearts, helping us appreciate our shared heritage, our Sanjhi Virasat. This appreciation and mutual respect are what make us human. True freedom lies in liberating ourselves from prejudices.”

GOPIO-Metro Washington has been organizing this yearly event in collaboration with the Aligarh Alumni Association-Washington, DC. This year's event saw active participation from several organizations, including the Association of Indian Muslims of America (AIM), the Hyderabad Association of Washington Metro Area (HAWMA), the Montgomery Nawabs (MONA), and the American Society of Science, Engineering, and Technology (ASSET).

The Embassy of India in Washington, a longstanding supporter of the event since its inception in 2011, co-hosted the inaugural bilingual poetry recitation in collaboration with AAA-DC and GOPIO-Metro.

Over the years, the event has provided a platform for numerous poets and authors to share their works, including luminaries like Professor Satyapal Anand, Professor Asghar Wajahat, and Dr. K. Mohan, among others.

This year, Farah Kamran’s book Surkh Shaam Ka Diya was released, with the acclaimed Urdu poet and short-story writer Jameel Usman, who traveled from New Jersey, offering an eloquent introduction to her poetic journey.

Renowned journalist, novelist, and short-story writer Nuzaira Azam presided over the session, highlighting Kamran’s perseverance, dedication, and literary contributions.

The Mushaira and Kavi Sammelan were chaired by retired Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer Dr. Ashok Narayan, currently visiting the USA. The event featured captivating performances by poets including Abdullah Abdullah, Ashok Narayan, Azfar Hasan, Farah Kamran, Jameel Usman, Madhu Maheshwari, Mohammed Akbar, and others.

Ms. Neha Singh, the First Secretary of Press and Culture at the Indian Embassy, attended the event along with representatives from various community and literary organizations.

A special tribute was paid to the late senior poets of the Metropolitan Washington area, Rakesh Khandelwal and Gulshan Madhur, who passed away last year, honoring their significant contributions to the literary community. Additionally, homage was offered to the late Talat Shamim, wife of Dr. Abdullah Shamim, a former active member of the Urdu Literary Society, a subsidiary of AAA-DC. Condolences were also extended to the late Professor Ahmad Shahid Khan, a retired AMU professor and father of AAA-DC Treasurer-elect Dr. Salman Shahid.

The poetry session was skillfully moderated by Mohammad Akbar, who introduced the poets and ensured the program ran smoothly. Afzal Usmani served as the Master of Ceremonies, while Renuka Misra expressed heartfelt gratitude to all participants, attendees, and volunteers for their contributions to the event’s success. The Arlington Library was also thanked for providing the venue.

The program was met with high praise from attendees, who remained engaged until the very end.

Bill Gates fears world on brink of war, pandemic possible within 25 years

NEW YORK, Sept 12: Bill Gates, the billionaire philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder, has sounded the alarm on two major global concerns: the threat of war and the lingering pandemic.

According to Bill Gates, many disturbances in the world today could lead to a major war, and even if the war is avoided, a pandemic is possible, most likely in the next 25 years.

He said that in case of a pandemic, the major question is whether nations are prepared enough compared to the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020. He feels that the nations were unprepared for the global outbreak of 2020.

In a conversation with CNBC Make it, Gates said, “The country that the world expected to lead and be the model fell short of those expectations,” referring to the United States.

In 2022, Bill Gates wrote the book, “How to Prevent the Next Pandemic” in which he called out several governments for being unprepared in 2020 to tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.

In his book, he also suggested ways for countries worldwide to deal with the pandemic. These included stringent quarantining policies, efficient disease monitoring mechanisms, and boosting vaccine research and development.

“Although some of the lessons from the coronavirus pandemic have been learned, it’s been way less than I would expect, sadly. Getting our thoughts together about what we did well, what we didn’t do well, is still not happening .... Perhaps, in the next five years, that’ll get better. But, so far, it’s quite surprising,” Gates said while referring to the pandemic.

In the upcoming Netflix series "What's Next? The Future with Bill Gates," the Billionaire will explore measures to avoid a pandemic.

This isn’t the first time Bill Gates has expressed his concerns about the pandemic. Earlier, he expressed his worries about the pandemic on various public platforms.

In 2022, at Germany’s annual Munich Security Conference, he said that the risks of Covid-19 have “dramatically reduced”, but it is very certain that the world will see another pandemic.

Putin Has 2 Sons With Ex Olympic Gymnast And 'Girlfriend' Alina Kabaeva: Report

MOSCOW, Sept 6: Russian President Vladimir Putin and his rumoured partner, former Olympic gymnast Alina Kabaeva, have two sons-ages five and nine-according to the Dossier Centre, a report in Forbes claimed. The outlet has attributed the info to a Russian investigative organisation that cited unnamed sources who claimed to regularly see the children.

The portal claims that the couple's children are growing up in a highly secured residence in complete privacy. The boys live a solitary existence away from the spotlight and seldom see their parents.

Putin, 71, has declared in public that he is the father of two daughters, Maria, 39, and Katerina, 38, with his former spouse Lyudmila Putin, whom he wed in 1983.

The Dossier Centre claims Ms Kabaeva and Mr Putin started dating in 2008, which was six years prior to the official end of his divorce from Lyudmila. According to the report, Ms Kabaeva, 41, gave birth to Ivan in a maternity centre in Lugano, Switzerland, and to Vladimir Jr in Moscow.

Both Ivan and Vladimir Jr live in Mr Putin's mansion northwest of Moscow, though they have no interaction with other children their age, the Dossier Centre report claimed, and they receive music lessons and have personal trainers for swimming and artistic gymnastics.

Ivan has reportedly competed in artistic gymnastics competitions and often plays in hockey matches with his father.

Last year, a report about Russian President Vladimir Putin secretly spending millions on his girlfriend to buy big properties for her and their young children came out. The Telegraph claimed that the leader allegedly funnelled millions in illicit funds to buy a big mansion and a large penthouse for his girlfriend, Alina Kabaeva.

'Treated Like Garbage': French Woman On Husband Who Let 50 Men Rape Her

PARIS, Sept 6: A 72-year-old French woman, whose husband admitted to drugging her and inviting dozens of men to rape her over a decade, told a court that she was treated "like a rag doll" and was "sacrificed on the altar of vice".

In a calm and clear voice, Gisele Pelicot, in the southern French city of Avignon, detailed the horror of how her husband Dominique Pelicot, 71, allegedly lined up scores of men to rape her while she was unconscious.

This happened close to 100 times in their home for nearly a decade, while her husband systematically filmed the suspected rapes and stored thousands of images as well as videos later found by the investigators.

“I was sacrificed on the altar of vice... They regarded me like a rag doll, like a garbage bag... I no longer have an identity. I don't know if I will ever rebuild myself," she testified, as per a report in The Independent.

She added, “For me, everything collapses. These are scenes of barbarity, of rape.”

She said she was abused at least six times by someone, who was known to have HIV.

“My life was in danger but not one second did anyone stop... I was tested for HIV as one man who came (to rape me) six times was seropositive,” Gisele told the court, testifying about the abuse inflicted on her between 2011 and 2020, New York Post reported.

The woman said the “police saved my life” after they investigated her husband's computer back in November 2020 after he was caught by a security guard filming up the skirts of women at a supermarket near their home in a village in southern France, The Guardian reported.

Describing the moment the investigators first showed her the videos of images of sexual abuse orchestrated and filmed by her husband, Gisele Pelicot termed it as “an explosion, a tsunami”.

“My world is falling apart. For me, everything is falling apart. Everything I have built up over 50 years... Frankly, these are scenes of horror for me,” she said while Dominique Pelicot kept listening to her in court with his head bowed.

The report stated that while investigating the case, police saw a file, labelled "abuses" on the USB drive that was connected to Dominique Pelicot's computer. While searching the drive, officials found nearly 20,000 images and films of the woman getting raped almost 100 times.

According to police, the accused husband used to crush sleeping pills and anti-anxiety medication and mix them into his wife's meal or wine. He then used to invite men to rape her after contacting them through an online chatroom.

Dominique Pelicot as well as 50 other men, aged between 26 and 74, are on trial, reports said.

According to The Telegraph, the woman's husband and 14 other co-accused have admitted to rape, while 35 men, belonging to all walks of life, have denied the charges, claiming the woman was in some way consented to libertine sex.

6,000-year-old bridge, discovered submerged inside Spanish cave, built by ancient humans

MALLORCA, Sept 2: An ancient limestone bridge submerged within the depths of Genovesa Cave on the Spanish island of Mallorca has unveiled new evidence that suggests human presence on the island occurred much earlier than previously believed.

The recent findings, detailed in a study published in the journal “Communications Earth & Environment”, have provided insights into the timeline of human settlement across the western Mediterranean, narrowing the gap between the eastern and western regions.

Researchers have long struggled to pinpoint the exact moment humans first colonised the Mediterranean islands, hampered by a lack of written records and scant archaeological evidence. However, a “bathtub ring” of mineral deposits and the structural features of the 25-foot-long bridge have allowed scientists to estimate that the bridge was constructed nearly 6,000 years ago.

The bridge, composed of large limestone blocks—some as wide as 4.2 feet—remains an enigma. The methods used by ancient humans to construct this structure in the challenging environment of a cave remain unknown. Researchers believe that the bridge was likely intended to provide a dry, continuous pathway, connecting the cave’s entrance to a chamber beyond a subterranean lake.

First discovered in 2000, the bridge has been a subject of intrigue for over two decades. Initial studies, based on pottery found within the cave, estimated the bridge to be around 3,500 years old. However, subsequent research suggested that humans might have been present on Mallorca as far back as 9,000 years ago. The lack of well-preserved materials, however, led to doubts about these early estimates.

Recent studies examining ash, bones, and charcoal deposits on the island suggested a more conservative timeline, placing human settlement around 4,440 years ago. By studying the rise of sea levels and analysing the mineral deposits on the submerged bridge, researchers reconstructed historical sea levels and determined that the bridge was likely built about 6,000 years ago.

Although the precise use of the cave and its bridge remains unclear, researchers proposed several theories. Fossil remains of a now-extinct goat species, “Myotragus balearicus”, have been found by cave divers near the site, along with pottery in a dry chamber connected to the cave’s entrance by the bridge.

The purpose of crossing the lake to access that chamber remains unclear; it could have served as a refuge, a place for rituals, or a storage area to keep food cool during Mallorca’s hot days, researchers believe.

Further evidence of small stone homes and structures on Mallorca, dating between 2,000 and 4,500 years ago, supports the idea that the cave bridge was a precursor to the more sophisticated stone constructions found on the island.

Paleontologists continue to investigate why Mallorca, despite its size and proximity to mainland Spain, was settled later than the eastern Mediterranean islands. The island’s hot, dry climate, coupled with its poor soil for farming and limited natural resources, may have deterred early settlers, researchers believe.

Celebrated 'Russian Spy' Whale Hvaldimir Found Dead In Norway: Report

OSLO, Sept 2: A beluga whale named Hvaldimir which captured the world's imagination in 2019 was found dead in Norway, a report said. The 14-foot-long and 2,700-pound whale was spotted with a harness seemingly designed for a camera five years ago, prompting the internet to nickname him Hvaldimir the spy whale.

The harness bore the marking "equipment" from St. Petersburg, fueling widespread speculation that the whale was part of a Russian reconnaissance mission. The mystery deepened as no official claim of ownership was made by Russia, leaving the world to wonder if this whale was a spy or just an unfortunate whale caught in a strange circumstance.

The beluga, whose name is a blend of the Norwegian word for whale, "hval," and the Russian name Vladimir, quickly became a subject of global fascination. Unlike other belugas, which typically inhabit the remote and frigid Arctic waters, Hvaldimir appeared unusually comfortable around humans, leading experts to believe he had been in captivity for much of his life.

"It's heartbreaking. He's touched thousands of people's hearts just here in Norway," Sebastian Strand, founder of the nonprofit Marine Mind, which worked to protect Hvaldimir, said as quoted by the New York Times.

Last year, Norway requested its citizens to avoid any type of contact with Hvaldimir who was seen in a fjord close to Oslo.

"The white whale known as "Hvaldimir" now resides in the inner Oslofjord. This means that it has arrived in a very densely populated area, and the risk that the whale may be injured due to human contact has thus become significantly greater," a statement by the Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries read.