Tag: world

  • Aliens? Possibility of life on a distant planet

    Aliens? Possibility of life on a distant planet

    There is a possibility that NASA’s James Webb Telescope has discovered signs of life on a distant planet.

    BBC reports that the likelihood of life stems from the possible search for a molecule known as dimethyl sulphide (DMS) which is reportedly “only produced by life” in the case of Earth.

    The researchers, however, believe that more data is needed to confirm its presence on the planet, named K2-18b, which is 120 light years away. Prof Madhusudhan from the University of Cambridge, who led the research, deemed the discovery as “tentative” and stressed on acquiring more data for confirmation and that result is expected in a year.

    ”If confirmed, it would be a huge deal and I feel a responsibility to get this right if we are making such a big claim.”, he added.

    Researchers have also detected methane and CO2 in its atmosphere. This means that the planet also possibly has a water ocean.

    Prof Madhusudhan said that his entire team were ”shocked” when they saw the results.

    “On Earth, DMS is only produced by life. The bulk of it in Earth’s atmosphere is emitted from phytoplankton in marine environments,” he said.

    Moreover, it is the first time detecting a possible DMS presence on a planet orbiting a distant star. But the claim is being dealt with caution as a similar claim was made in 2020 regarding the presence of a molecule called phosphine. It is a molecule that could be “produced by living organisms in the clouds of Venus”. This, however, was disputed a year later.

  • Critics slam world’s largest cruise ship as a “monstrosity” comparable to Titanic

    Critics slam world’s largest cruise ship as a “monstrosity” comparable to Titanic

    The Icon of the Seas, the world’s largest cruise ship, operated by Royal Caribbean International, has faced heavy criticism from skeptics who liken its upcoming maiden voyage to the ill-fated Titanic, according to The New York Post.

    Royal Caribbean International President and CEO, Michael Bayley, views the ship as a revolutionary advancement in sea travel, positioning it as the ultimate family vacation.

    Set to embark on its first journey in January of next year, the ship has an astounding internal volume of 250,800 gigatonnes (GT), dwarfing the Titanic’s 46,328 GT.

    The vessel boasts an array of features, including seven pools, nine whirlpools, and a record-breaking water park with six slides aptly named “Category 6.” It spans 19 floors, equivalent to the height of a New York City building, accommodating approximately 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew members.

    While the ship has completed its initial tests, critics argue that its grand scale does not guarantee an improved experience.

    Online commentators have expressed their dismay, labeling the Icon of the Seas a nightmare and comparing it to visions of hell. Despite skepticism, the ship has generated significant attention, with the cheapest ticket for a seven-night cruise priced at $1,851 and the most expensive at $10,864.

    As the vessel’s maiden voyage approaches, opinions remain divided, with some fascinated by the ship’s remarkable features while others view it with intense dread. The ship’s size and ambitious design have ignited a spirited debate about the future of cruising and whether bigger truly means better in the eyes of travelers.

  • China will not attend G20 meeting to be held in Indian-Occupied Kashmir

    China will not attend G20 meeting to be held in Indian-Occupied Kashmir

    China has said that it is opposed to a G20 tourism meeting next week in the disputed Himalayan territory in Indian-Occupied Kashmir, confirming that it will not attend, handing a significant diplomatic victory to Pakistan.

    “China is firmly opposed to holding any kind of G20 meetings in disputed territory, and will not attend such meetings,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said.

    India, which holds the chair of G20 this year, has organised a series of meetings across the country in the run-up to the summit in New Delhi in September.

    Srinagar, the capital of the occupied territory of Jammu and Kashmir, will host a meeting of the tourism working group for G20 members on May 22-24.

    Despite backlash for holding the meeting in disputed territory, the Modi-led government has not backed off from its plans to do so.

  • UAE hints at acting as bridge between India and Pakistan

    UAE hints at acting as bridge between India and Pakistan

    United Arab Emirates (UAE) Ambassador to India, Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali, in an interview with The Hindustan Times said that his country has played a role in the past in addressing tensions between India and Pakistan, though any future role it might play would be up to both neighboring countries. 

    Talking to Foreign Editor at The Hindustan Times, Rezaul Hasan Laskar about Pakistani Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks about asking the UAE to help build a bridge with India, the ambassador said his country has “played such a role in the past”, but future endeavours will depend on both India and Pakistan.

    He also talked about expanding the gulf country’s relationship with India, saying that UAE is engaged in technical discussions to finalise a rupee-dirham arrangement for trade as part of the efforts to build on the free trade agreement signed by the two countries last year.

    He also said that UAE is keen on revisiting the arrangement for flights to India and introducing flights to more Indian destinations to help bring down airfare.

    He said: “If you check the price of a ticket today, it’s more than 50 per cent higher than it used to be a few years back or it used to be pre-Covid. That’s already a market signal that we need to pay attention to because we are talking about this entire relationship and aviation is a crucial point in expanding this relationship.”

    When asked about UAE’s plans to invest in food parks and renewable energy in India under the I2U2 framework, Jamal said the conversation between the Gujrat government and UAE is going on.

    In recent times, both countries have grown close. In November 2022, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited India to further strengthen its bilateral relationship with India.

  • WHO report reveals smoking causes 166,000 deaths every year in Pakistan

    WHO report reveals smoking causes 166,000 deaths every year in Pakistan

    In Pakistan, smoking contributes to around 166,000 deaths annually, of which 31,000 are caused by passive smoking.

    The World Health Organization predicts that this figure won’t go down considerably in the upcoming years despite health warnings, quitting initiatives, and expanded tobacco control measures. These combustible cigarettes not only endanger the environment but also the human body.

    The industry’s carbon footprint from the manufacture, processing, and transportation of tobacco is comparable to one-fifth of the CO2 produced by the commercial aircraft industry each year, according to the WHO study “Tobacco: Poisoning our world,” which furthers the effects of global warming.

    According to Brecorder, the ultimate objective to completely remove the hazards of climate change, according to experts, is to stop smoking, but doing so can be challenging and come with a risk of relapse. Scientists across the world have been researching for years to develop possibly less dangerous substitutes that smokers can switch to as their initial step to stop smoking.

    They said that countries like Japan, US, UK, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland took it upon themselves to lower these numbers and by legalizing and funding research towards HTPs and adopting Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) strategies. The results have been very promising as most of these countries saw a sharp decline in the number of smokers and the risks associated with it.

  • ‘Here to tell Pakistan’s story to world’: PM Shehbaz arrives in New York

    ‘Here to tell Pakistan’s story to world’: PM Shehbaz arrives in New York

    After attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral in London on Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif arrived in the United States (US) on Tuesday ahead of his address to the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) which is to be held on September 23 in New York.

    Talking about his trip, the premier said that he is in America to “tell Pakistan’s story to the world, a story of deep anguish and pain arising out of a massive human tragedy caused by floods”.

    “In my address at UNGA and at bilateral meetings, I will present Pakistan’s case on issues that call for the world’s immediate attention,” he said.

    PM Shehbaz is also scheduled to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and will attend the reception of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres today.

    On Wednesday, the prime minister will meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva and World Bank (WB) President David Mills.

    Other engagements of the premier include meetings with Malaysian PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob, UNGA President Csaba Korosi, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, the UN Secretary-General as well as Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.

    During this visit, he reportedly may have a meeting with US President Joe Biden, however, as yet there is no confirmation of the meeting. Both PM Shehbaz and Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari will attend the dinner reception hosted by President Biden for heads of state and governments of countries attending the General Assembly.

    The head of government will be in the US for five days from September 19- 24.

  • Floods damage Mohenjo Daro, site may be withdrawn from world heritage list

    Floods damage Mohenjo Daro, site may be withdrawn from world heritage list

    The department of archaeology has asked for immediate attention to conservation and restoration work at Mohenjo Daro, fearing that if such work is not taken up immediately, the site may be withdrawn from the World Heritage list.

    From August 16 to 26, the archaeological ruins of Mohenjo Daro received record rains of 779.5mm. It caused significant damage to the site and the partial collapse of several structures, including the stupa dome’s protective wall.

    It caused significant damage to the site and the partial collapse of several structures, including the stupa dome’s protective wall.

    The curator of the site wrote a letter to the director of culture, antiquities and archaeology on Aug 29 about the condition of the heritage site. “We have put in efforts to protect the site with our resources,” it read.

    Rainwater from neighbouring agricultural lands had flooded the disposal channel due to neglect of the negligence of different departments including irrigation, roads, highways and forest.

    “The archaeology official had called for immediate contact with the irrigation and roads departments for the repair of the bund, breached canal dykes and removal of pipes.”

    The curator has proposed sending experts (conservators and engineers) to assess the damage caused by the downpours. Archaeology officials stationed at Mohenjo Daro are currently repairing the structures that have been damaged.

    Pakistan is experiencing one of the worst floods in its history. In the last 24 hours, 11 more deaths have occurred, which has taken the death toll to 1,325. More than 1/3 of the country is inundated with millions displaced from their homes.

  • India to become the most populous country in 2023

    India to become the most populous country in 2023

    India will become the world’s most populous country next year i.e 2023, beating China, according to a United Nations (UN) report. Currently, India’s population stands at 1.412 billion, compared to China’s 1.426 billion.

    The findings were released by the UN on July 11 to mark World Population Day.

    The latest projections also suggest the world population is expected to reach eight billion by mid-November 2022, 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050, 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and to remain at that level until 2100.

    India is also among eight countries where the population is expected to be concentrated in 2050. The other seven countries are Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and Tanzania.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, “This year’s World Population Day (July 11) falls during a milestone year when we anticipate the birth of the Earth’s eight billionth inhabitant. This is an occasion to celebrate our diversity, recognise our common humanity, and marvel at advancements in health that have extended lifespans and dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality rates.”

    In a tweet, he added, “On ensuring our world can support our needs and those of future generations. On protecting human rights and the ability of all individuals to make informed choices about whether and when to have children.”

  • International oil prices declined by 4%, crashing below $100 per barrel

    International oil prices declined by 4%, crashing below $100 per barrel

    Brent crude slid below $100 for the first time since March 16 amid plans to release huge amounts of petroleum and oil products from strategic storage, and also China’s prolonged coronavirus closure.

    Crude oil was down $4.1, or 3.99 per cent, at $98.68 per barrel. The price of US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $4.28 a barrel, or 4.28 per cent, to $94.07 per barrel.

    The International Energy Agency (IEA) recently announced that member countries will release 60 million barrels over the next six months, with the United States matching that amount as part of its 180-million-barrel release announced in March.

    The actions are meant to make up for a shortfall of Russian crude after Moscow was extensively sanctioned for what it claims was a “special military operation” in Ukraine.

    As per JP Morgan analysts, the release of Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) volumes will amount to 1.3 million barrels per day (BPD) over the next six months, enough to cover a 1 million BPD shortfall in Russian oil supplies.

    The release of strategic government oil reserves is projected to relieve some market tightness in the coming months, reducing the likelihood of oil prices rising and re-enforcing near-term supply constraints.

    While this is the largest release since the IEA stockpile was established in 1980, market participants believe it will fail to affect the principles of the oil market and will just delay further increases in production from crucial suppliers.

  • Pakistani passport fourth-worst in world, Japan, Singapore on top

    Pakistani passport fourth-worst in world, Japan, Singapore on top

    The Henley Passport Index has ranked the Pakistani passport as the fourth worst to hold in the world. It evaluates different countries on the basis of international mobility enjoyed by their holders.

    According to details, the International Passport ranking authority Henley Global has issued the passport rankings for 2022, in which Japan and Singapore top the list.

    Pakistan, with a score of 31, ranked 109 on the list. Only, Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan rank lower than Pakistan on the list. Henley Global has released the ranking of 112 passports in the world in 2022.

    All the world’s passports were ranked according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa.

    Japan unsurprisingly, and Singapore topped the list with access to 192 destinations without a prior visa.

    It is to be noted that there are no Muslim countries in the top 10 ranking for the strongest passports in the world.

    The United Arab Emirates (UAE) with access to 175 destinations is the top-ranked Muslim country on the list.

    Ukraine, despite the military conflict with Russia, sits at 34th position while Russia, after a 3 rank decline from the last year, ranks 49th with a score of 117.

    Taliban-ruled Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan ranked last on the list as its citizens can visit only 26 destinations without a prior visa.

    Henley & Partners firm’s “Henley Passport Index” has been regularly monitoring the world’s most travel-friendly passports since 2006.