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1) Welcome to the Anthropocene, Earth's new chapter :by Marlowe HOOD

the world getting ucomfortably Hot and supporting system are falling

Since 2009, a cloistered band of hard-rock geologists and other scientists have toiled on a mission of great consequence. On Tuesday they will deliver the last of their findings—the location of ground-zero for the Anthropocene, the proposed geological epoch borne of humanity's outsized impact on the planet.

In essence, the Anthropocene Working Group was mandated by the high priests of Earth's geological timeline to answer three questions.

Scientists have identified nine planetary boundaries to human activity

The first, roughly, is this: would aliens sifting through Earth's layered rocks and sediment a million years from now discern a human signature distinctive enough to mark a clear geological boundary?

If they did, when would it start?

Yes, the Working Group concluded, human appetites and activity have evicted the planet—and its inhabitants —from the stability of the Holocene epoch, which began 11,700 years ago as the last ice age ended.The world is getting uncomfortably hot and its life-support systems are failing.

We have seen a surge in greenhouse gas concentration, microplastic pollution and other markers of 'the Great Acceleration'

The threshold for the "epoch of humans" first proposed in 2002 by chemistry Nobel Paul Crutzen, they said, should be the mid-20th century. This is when a sharp surge in greenhouse gas concentration, microplastic pollution, invasive species, radioactive traces from atom bomb testing, and a dozen other markers of our species' growing influence added up to what scientists now call the Great Acceleration

That leaves the question of the "golden spike"—the single lake deposit, coral reef, ice core or other geological repository of evidence that best embodies the Anthropocene.

The "winner" will be announced Tuesday in joint press conferences at the Max Planck Society in Berlin and a meeting of working group scientists in Lille, France.

A paradigm shift

Presented as recommendations, the fruit of the Working Group's long labors must now be validated by a gauntlet of skeptical, hard-nosed scientists at the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) and, higher up the food chain, the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).

Women collect water from a communal tap several hundred metres from their homes in Zimbabwe

The chances of that happening are slim, according to almost everyone involved.

At one level, the issues under debate are narrow to the point of pedantry—rock experts quibbling over whether the Anthropocene merits inclusion in the International Chronostratigraphic Chart, the planet's official 4.6-billion-year timeline.

Some geologists say it doesn't meet the technical criteria, even as they acknowledge a rupture with the past.At the same time, marking the end of the Holocene and the start of a new epoch would force us to ponder humanity's devastating impact.For the first time in Earth's history, a single species has not only radically changed the planet's morphology, chemistry and biology, but is aware of having done so.

Crutzen, who earned a Nobel for identifying the manmade chemicals destroying the protective ozone layer, hoped the concept and reality of the Anthropocene would focus minds on the challenges ahead."It could well be a paradigm shift in scientific thinking," he said at a symposium in 2011.A dozen years later, many of the scientists who look at how the strands of the Earth system intersect agree.

"It's the recognition that, 'Oh my God, we have tipping points. Oh my God, the Holocene is the only state that can support us,'" Johan Rockstrom, head of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, told AFP."The paradigm shift is the realization that we're leaving the Holocene and entering the Anthropocene." Minefield of resistance

Other scientists, however, remain unconvinced, including powerful gatekeepers lobbying against the Anthropocene being adopted as a formal epoch.

"The conditions which brought about glaciation"—a dozen mini-ice ages over the last million years—"haven't changed, so we might expect that the Holocene is simply another interglacial," Phil Gibbard, Secretary of the ICS, told the "Geology Bites" podcast last year.

He suggested the planet could continue in that pattern for another 50 million years. As for the Anthropocene, Gibbard has suggested calling it an "event" covering millennia of human alterations of the environment.In geology, he noted, an event can be anything from a single raindrop pitting a lump of clay to the Great Oxidation Event that transformed Earth's atmosphere some 2.2 billion years ago.

For Jan Zalasiewicz, a journeyman geologist who rose to the challenge of leading the Anthropocene Working Group through a forest of evidence and minefield of resistance for more than a decade, that's not good enough.Failure to formally ratify the concept, he said, would leave the impression that the Holocene conditions that allowed human civilization to flourish are still there."Clearly they are not," he told AFP.

"I am concerned that if the word 'Anthropocene' continues to mean different things to different people, then it will lose its significance and simply fade away."In the end, Zalasiewicz said, we can only follow the evidence."Science is basically trying to establish what's real as opposed to what's not," he said."And the Anthropocene is real."

2) Lauren Schroeder looks beyond natural selection to rethink human evolution: By Anna Gibbs

Lauren Schroeder studies the processes that have driven human evolution. She has a tattoo of her favorite fossil, a 2-million-year-old Homo habilis skull.

Paleoanthropologists have long focused primarily on adaptive processes. Lauren Schroeder has loved dinosaurs since age 3 and bones since she was 10. In her second year of university, she started studying the early evolution of the Homo genus and it turned into her Ph.D. Many fossils have taken her breath away, she says, but a 2-million-year-old Homo habilis skull holds such a special place in her heart that it’s tattooed on her forearm.

“I think I can safely say that I’m doing what I wanted to do,” she says.

As a paleoanthropologist at the University of Toronto, Schroeder works to untangle the various processes by which humans have evolved. One such process, natural selection, is adaptive: Changes in an organism’s features make it more suited to its environment. But some changes are not selected for, or even totally random. Despite the existence of “nonadaptive” processes, paleoanthropology has often attributed evolutionary changes in hominids to adaptation alone.

While a Ph.D. student at the University of Cape Town in South Africa, Schroeder questioned the emphasis on natural selection to explain changes seen in the fossil record. “It was very clear that something was missing,” she says. Not much research had considered the role played by nonadaptive processes, such as genetic drift and gene flow. “That was really the big moment for me … these are important questions that haven’t really been asked. I should try to answer them.” Since then, her research has suggested that nonadaptive processes play a much bigger role in evolution than previously realized.

“All aspects of Lauren’s research have been consequential for the discipline,” says Benjamin Auerbach, a biological anthropologist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “We’re witnessing maybe a change in the way we talk about human evolution.”

The importance of chance

Schroeder’s research centers around questions of how and why body features in humans (or other animals) — called “morphology” — came to be.

They are hard questions to answer, in part because fossils often don’t contain usable DNA. Paleoanthropologists rely on patterns in the morphology, established theory and statistical analyses to try to understand the evolutionary processes at play. It’s math “all the way through,” Schroeder says — which is good, because she adores math.

Lauren Schroeder studies the processes that have driven human evolution. She has a tattoo of her favorite fossil, a 2-million-year-old Homo habilis skull.

Before the math, Schroeder measures the features of the fossils. During her Ph.D. research, she traveled across Africa to scan and analyze fossil Homo skulls dating from 2.8 million years ago until just tens of thousands of years ago. Some features of the skulls showed a strong adaptive signal, including the jaw; that means that early Homo jaw shape probably evolved via natural selection, driven by a changing diet.

But surprisingly, when Schroeder looked at the results for the shape of braincases across the Homo genus, genetic drift appeared to be at play, she reported in 2017 in the Journal of Human Evolution. A nonadaptive process, genetic drift is the loss of genetic variation in a population due to the chance disappearance of certain genes. In other words, the braincase shape evolved just because.Schroeder also turns to today’s animals to better understand the evolution of our ancestors. Another nonadaptive process — gene flow — occurs when genes spread from one population to another through breeding, including when two species hybridize. Hybrids in the fossil record could thus offer clues to evolutionary processes. But there’s currently no good way to determine whether a fossil represents a hybrid.

Schroeder aims to change that by developing a framework based on morphological patterns in living hybrids. So far she’s focused on the skulls of coyote-wolf hybrids (chosen in part because Schroeder loves dogs), and she’s identified traits consistent with other hybrids, she and colleagues reported in 2021 in Journal of Morphology, including a higher incidence of dental and other anomalies. Rewriting narratives

Schroeder, who grew up in South Africa, remembers noticing as early as her undergraduate years that most of the paleoanthropological research in her country was conducted by foreign researchers. In fact, less than 5 percent of papers published in the Journal of Human Evolution from 2016 to 2021 were authored by African researchers, Schroeder reported in the journal this past January.

Additionally, “even though most of it is based in Africa, paleoanthropology is so white,” she says. As a Black African woman, “it was such a lonely place, actually, for a long time.” Schroeder has struggled to publish papers, received sexist reviews on papers and experienced instances of blatant racism.

Some things have improved. At American Association of Biological Anthropologists conferences, she used to be able to count the number of Black people on two hands, she says. When she attended this past May, she was one of many. But there is still a long way to go. She credits her mentors for helping her get through the tough early years and the Black in BioAnth Collective for working to transform the field.

“It’s not an easy journey getting to where she is, but she’s there,” says Rebecca Ackermann, Schroeder’s Ph.D. adviser at the University of Cape Town. “And so now the world is her oyster.”

Schroeder recently secured tenure at the University of Toronto. As the first in her family to attend university, it means a lot to her and her parents. “They don’t necessarily get everything I do,” she laughs. But “we’re in disbelief that I’ve gotten here.”

3) Alien technology? Harvard professor finds fragments that could be of otherworldly origin by Eric Lagatta USA TODAY :

Harvard professor Avi Loeb's team was combing the floor of the Pacific Ocean looking for remnants from a 2014 asteroid strike when they turned up something unmatched in our solar system. An astrophysicist at Harvard University believes he may have found proof of extraterrestrial life not by studying the vast night sky, but by combing the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

Last month, a crew aboard a boat called the Silver Star embarked on an expedition to Papua New Guinea with the mission of recovering fragments from a mysterious meteor that had crashed into Earth in 2014.

During the two-week excursion, the team scoured over 100 miles of ocean bed before recovering 50 tiny spheres composed of a metallic substance they say is unmatched to any existing alloys in our solar system. The spheres — which are so miniscule that they require a microscope to see — require further testing to determine whether they're natural or technological in nature. Depending on the findings, the objects could be the first time that humanity has found solid evidence of interstellar beings.

In other words, aliens.

"Our findings open a new frontier in astronomy of studying what lies outside the solar system through microscopes rather than telescopes, said Avi Loeb, a professor and astrophysicist at Harvard University, who led the expedition as its chief scientist.

The hunt for an interstellar meteor yields surprising findings

The fragments the team uncovered are believed to be from a basketball-sized meteorite that in 2014 slammed into the Earth’s atmosphere and into the western Pacific Ocean.

Originating from outside the solar system, the meteor moved at a speed two times faster than nearly all of the stars in the vicinity of the sun, Loeb said. Though too small to be noticed by telescopes through its reflection of sunlight, its collision with Earth generated a bright fireball recorded by U.S. government sensors, Loeb added.Loeb in 2019 identified the meteor's interstellar origin in a paper he co-wrote with Harvard undergraduate student Amir Siraj. Three years later, U.S. Space Command further confirmed in a 2022 letter to NASA that the object — deemed interstellar meteor, IM1 — came from another solar system.

The $1.5 million expedition that Loeb led was to recover the fragments left over from the explosion on the floor of the Pacific Ocean at its crash site near Manus Island in Papua New Guinea. Between June 14-28, the crew searched over 108 miles of the ocean floor by combing it with a sled full of magnets attached to their boat.Loeb said it took days to get the magnetic sled on the ocean floor and a few more days after that to understand just what the crew collected along the expected path of the meteor — about 53 miles off the coast of Manus Island."As we scooped the magnets, the most abundant material attached to them was a black powder of volcanic ash," he wrote on Medium.com.

But after a week at sea, the breakthrough Loeb had been seeking finally came. A member of the team observed through the microscope a "beautiful metallic marble of sub-millimeter size and sub-milligram mass," Loeb wrote. After the discovery, the team continued to find more spherules.A preliminary analysis of the spherules' composition suggested they do not match commonly manufactured alloys or natural meteorites in our solar system, Loeb said. The crew brought the 50 spherules to the Harvard College Observatory for further study.The fundamental question scientists hope to answer is whether the meteor was natural in origin, or artificially-made. In other words, is it remnants of an alien spaceship?

"We've been looking for something the size of a watermelon in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and somehow managed to find some fragments," according to a statement from, American entrepreneur Charles Hoskinson, who funded the expedition. "This operation has produced excellent science and I hope captures the imagination of the general public for the pursuit of intelligent life in the universe.

What's next?

The expedition team recently held its first meeting to plan and put together a scientific paper to describe the findings, Loeb said.The team hopes to complete a preliminary analysis at three laboratories at Harvard, in Germany and at the University of California, Berkeley, the findings of which Loeb said will be incorporated into a paper that will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal within the month.

It's not lost on Loeb how significant of a discovery he could have on his hands, the implications of which would fundamentally alter humanity's understanding of the universe and our place in it. A few days after returning from the expedition, Loeb recalled that FedEx delivered a black plastic suitcase with the materials to his front door.

"I then realized that for the first time in history, humans are in possession of materials from a meter-size object that came from outside the solar system, the first recognized interstellar meteor," Loeb told USA TODAY. "FedEx was the last step in a journey that this package may have made for billions of years through interstellar space before it arrived at my doorstep."

4) First Alzheimer’s drug to slow disease progression gets full FDA approval, triggering broader Medicare coverage: by By Meg Tirrell, Nadia Kounang and Tami Luhby, CNN:

The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted traditional full approval to the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, the first medicine proven to slow the course of the memory-robbing disease.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said Thursday that it will now expand coverage of the drug, broadening access for up to an estimated million people with early forms of the disease.

“Today’s action is the first verification that a drug targeting the underlying disease process of Alzheimer’s disease has shown clinical benefit in this devastating disease,” Teresa Buracchio, acting director of the Office of Neuroscience in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in the announcement. “This confirmatory study verified that it is a safe and effective treatment for patients with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Leqembi, from drugmakers Eisai and Biogen, received accelerated approval in January based on evidence that it clears amyloid plaque buildups in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. But because of an earlier coverage decision by CMS, which provides insurance coverage for many elderly people with Alzheimer’s through Medicare, the drug hasn’t been widely used. It costs $26,500 annually before insurance coverage.

“You had this treatment at your fingertips, and suddenly you had Medicare saying, ‘Yeah, but you can’t quite get access to that yet,’ ” said Joe Montminy, 59, who was diagnosed with younger-onset Alzheimer’s in his early 50s. “Getting that insurance coverage is incredibly significant … because having a treatment is awesome, but I can’t afford to pay the $26,000 cost.”

‘The beginning of a new era’

The drug was approved only for people with early forms of Alzheimer’s disease, those with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia who have been confirmed to have amyloid plaques in their brains. Dr. Lawrence Honig, a professor of neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, estimates that group constitutes about a sixth of the more than 6 million Americans currently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. People with more advanced forms of the disease may not benefit from the drug, he said, and may face increased safety risks.

“It’s not that we know it’s not good for people with moderate or severe disease; it’s just that we don’t know,” said Honig, who has consulted for drug companies working on Alzheimer’s medicines.

Even for those who may benefit from the drug, Honig noted, it’s not a cure; Leqembi was shown in an 18-month clinical trial to slow declines in cognitive ability and function by 27%.“The treatments we have right now are just the beginning of a new era,” Honig said. “We hope that we will have treatments that are more efficacious.”

The Alzheimer’s Association said in a statement Thursday that it welcomes the FDA’s full approval.“This treatment, while not a cure, can give people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s more time to maintain their independence and do the things they love,” said Dr. Joanne Pike, the group’s president and CEO. “This gives people more months of recognizing their spouse, children and grandchildren. This also means more time for a person to drive safely, accurately and promptly take care of family finances, and participate fully in hobbies and interests.”

However, the drug also comes with side effects and requires monitoring through regular brain imaging. About 13% of participants in the trial experienced brain swelling or bleeding, and those risks could be higher for certain groups based on their genetics or if they take blood-thinning medications. The FDA says a boxed warning is included in the prescribing information to alert patients and caregivers to the potential risks associated with these side effects.

Health systems have been gearing up for broader use of the medicine.

“It’s complicated, and because of all these complications, we have been trying to be very thoughtful and taking our time and preparing the system for this,” said Dr. Georges Naasan, medical director of the Division of Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychology at Mount Sinai.The drug is given as an IV infusion once every two weeks. Infusion centers have been preparing for a potential surge of new patients.“In certain areas, I anticipate we will receive probably 15% to 20% more patient referrals for this drug,” said Sue Rottura, chief operating officer of Vivo Infusion, which says it provides infusion services for about 50,000 patients in the US. “We know in clinics in Florida that we may have to increase capacity at those clinics, and that may involve increasing the number of days, increasing hours [or] offering weekend hours.” Drugmaker Eisai said it doesn’t expect that everyone estimated to have early Alzheimer’s disease will seek to use the medicine right away.

“You’re going to have a much, much lower number, at least at this moment,” Eisai US CEO Ivan Cheung said. “Maybe a few years down the road, as these therapeutic options are available, these testings are reimbursed, that number will go up more, but I don’t think you’re going to see a million people in the next couple of years.”

Montminy is waiting to see if he qualifies for the drug based on brain imaging – for which Eisai said it also expects a CMS decision on coverage soon. If he is, he won’t hesitate to take it for the chance to have more time with his wife and two sons, who he says are in their late 20s and are early in their careers.

“They’ll often call me and ask me for advice about work, and I enjoy those phone calls, but I worry that sometime soon I might not be able to help them,” Montminy said. “Like any parent, I would love to see them actually get married and have a family. You know, basically I just want to experience many of the activities that most people take for granted.”

Expanded Medicare coverage

CMS said this year that it would provide broader coverage for Leqembi if the drug received traditional FDA approval.

“CMS today affirms our commitment to help people with Alzheimer’s disease have timely access to innovative treatments that may lead to improved care and better outcomes,” Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said in a statement Thursday. “With FDA’s decision, CMS will cover this medication broadly while continuing to gather data that will help us understand how the drug works. This is welcome news for the millions of people in this country and their families who are affected by this debilitating disease.”

Medicare recipients will probably face out-of-pocket costs for Leqembi. Those in traditional Medicare will be responsible for the 20% coinsurance of the Medicare-approved amount after they meet their Part B deductible.

How much those enrolled in Medicare Advantage or supplemental plans will have to pay will vary based on their policy.

The coverage also comes with some qualifications. Medicare will cover the approved drugs when a physician and clinical team participate in the collection of evidence about how these drugs work in the real world, also known as a registry, CMS said. This information will help gauge the usefulness of the medications for people with Medicare.

Providers will be able to submit the evidence through a CMS-facilitated portal, which will be free to use. CMS released more details of its plan to cover new Alzheimer’s drugs in late June. It said it is working with a number of organizations that are preparing to open their own registries. Clinicians will be able to choose which registry to participate in.

The agency is looking for data to help answer several questions outlined in its national coverage determination, released in April. They include: Does the drug meaningfully improve health outcomes – such as slowing the decline of cognition and function – for patients in broad community practice? Do benefits and harms, such as brain hemorrhage and edema, of using the drug depend on the characteristics of patients, providers and the setting? And how do benefits and harms change over time?

Patient groups and the pharmaceutical industry, however, have voiced concerns about the use of a registry, saying it will create a barrier to treatment.

Broad Medicare coverage of Leqembi and similar types of medications to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease will probably have a big impact on the program’s spending.

If 10% of the estimated 6.7 million older adults take Leqembi, at an annual list price of $26,500, it would boost spending by $17.8 billion, according to an analysis by KFF, formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation. That would exceed the total spending on the top 10 Part B drugs administered in doctors’ offices in 2021.

The increase in spending could lead to higher Medicare Part B premiums for all enrollees.

5) Research group deciphers enigmatic ancient 'unknown Kushan script' :by University of Cologne

Where the bilingual inscription was discovered in Tajikistan

The Kushan Empire in Central Asia was one of the most influential states of the ancient world. A research team at the University of Cologne's Department of Linguistics has now deciphered a writing system that sheds new light on its history. A team of early career researchers at the University of Cologne has succeeded in decoding a script that has been puzzling scholars for more than 70 years: the so-called "unknown Kushan script." Over a period of several years, Svenja Bonmann, Jakob Halfmann and Natalie Korobzow examined photographs of inscriptions found in caves as well as characters on bowls and clay pots from various Central Asian countries in order to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Characters on a rock in the Almosi Gorge in Tajikistan

On 1 March 2023, they first announced their partial decipherment of the unknown Kushan script at an online conference of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan. Currently, about 60% of the characters can be read, and the group is working to decipher the remaining characters. A detailed description of the decipherment has now been published in the journal Transactions of the Philological Society under the title "A Partial Decipherment of the Unknown Kushan Script."New discovery led to breakthrough

The unknown Kushan script is a writing system that was in use in parts of Central Asia between about 200 BCE and 700 CE. It can be associated with both the early nomadic peoples of the Eurasian steppe, such as the Yuèzhī, and the ruling dynasty of the Kushans. The Kushans founded an empire which, among other things, was responsible for the spread of Buddhism to East Asia. They also created monumental architecture and artworks.

So far, several dozen mostly short inscriptions are known, most of them originating from the territory of the present-day states of Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan. There is also a longer trilingual that was found by French archaeologists in the 1960s at Dašt-i Nāwur in Afghanistan: on a boulder at 4,320 m altitude on Mount Qarabayu, approximately 100 km southwest of Kabul.

The writing system was has been known since the 1950s, but had never been successfully deciphered. In 2022, a short bilingual was found carved into a rock face in the Almosi Gorge in northwestern Tajikistan, approximately 30 km from the capital Dushanbe. In addition to the unknown Kushan script, it also contains a section in the already known Bactrian language.

This discovery led to renewed attempts by several researchers to decode the script—independently of one another. In the end, the linguists at the University of Cologne succeeded in partially deciphering the writing system in collaboration with the Tajik archaeologist Dr. Bobomullo Bobomulloev, who was instrumental in the discovery and documentation of the bilingual. Success 200 years after the deciphering of the Egyptian hieroglyphs

The team applied a methodology based on the way unknown scripts have been deciphered in the past, i.e., the Egyptian hieroglyphs using the Rosetta Stone, ancient Persian cuneiform script or Greek Linear B script: Thanks to the known content of the bilingual inscription found in Tajikistan (Bactrian and unknown Kushan script) and the trilingual inscription from Afghanistan (Gandhari or Middle Indo-Aryan, Bactrian and unknown Kushan script), Bonmann, Halfmann and Korobzow were able to gradually draw conclusions about the type of writing and language.

The breakthrough was finally made possible by the royal name Vema Takhtu, which appeared in both Bactrian parallel texts, and the title "King of Kings," which could be identified in the corresponding sections in the unknown Kushan script. The title especially proved to be a good indicator of the underlying language. Step by step, using the Bactrian parallel text, the linguists were able to analyze further character sequences and determine the phonetic values of individual characters.

Key to a better understanding of Kushan culture

According to the research group, the Kushan script recorded a completely unknown Middle Iranian language, which is neither identical to Bactrian nor to the language known as Khotanese Saka, which was once spoken in western China. The language probably occupies a middle position in the development between these languages. It could be either the language of the settled population of northern Bactria (on a part of the territory of today's Tajikistan) or the language of certain nomadic peoples of Inner Asia (the Yuèzhī), who originally lived in northwestern China.

For a certain period of time, it apparently served as one of the official languages of the Kushan Empire alongside Bactrian, Gandhari/Middle Indo-Aryan and Sanskrit. As a preliminary name, the researchers propose the term "Eteo-Tocharian" to describe the newly identified Iranian language.

The group is planning future research trips to Central Asia in close cooperation with Tajik archaeologists, as new finds of further inscriptions are to be expected and promising potential sites have already been located. First author Svenja Bonmann remarked, "Our decipherment of this script can help enhance our understanding of the language and cultural history of Central Asia and the Kushan Empire, similar to the deciphering of the Egyptian hieroglyphs or Mayan glyphs for our understanding of ancient Egypt or Mayan civilization."

6) New research puts age of universe at 26.7 billion years, nearly twice as old as previously believed : by Bernard Rizk, University of Ottawa

Our universe could be twice as old as current estimates, according to a new study that challenges the dominant cosmological model and sheds new light on the so-called "impossible early galaxy problem."

The work is published in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

"Our newly-devised model stretches the galaxy formation time by a several billion years, making the universe 26.7 billion years old, and not 13.7 as previously estimated," says author Rajendra Gupta, adjunct professor of physics in the Faculty of Science at the University of Ottawa.

For years, astronomers and physicists have calculated the age of our universe by measuring the time elapsed since the Big Bang and by studying the oldest stars based on the redshift of light coming from distant galaxies. In 2021, thanks to new techniques and advances in technology, the age of our universe was thus estimated at 13.797 billion years using the Lambda-CDM concordance model.

However, many scientists have been puzzled by the existence of stars like the Methuselah that appear to be older than the estimated age of our universe and by the discovery of early galaxies in an advanced state of evolution made possible by the James Webb Space Telescope. These galaxies, existing a mere 300 million years or so after the Big Bang, appear to have a level of maturity and mass typically associated with billions of years of cosmic evolution. Furthermore, they're surprisingly small in size, adding another layer of mystery to the equation.

Zwicky's tired light theory proposes that the redshift of light from distant galaxies is due to the gradual loss of energy by photons over vast cosmic distances. However, it was seen to conflict with observations. Yet Gupta found that "by allowing this theory to coexist with the expanding universe, it becomes possible to reinterpret the redshift as a hybrid phenomenon, rather than purely due to expansion."

In addition to Zwicky's tired light theory, Gupta introduces the idea of evolving "coupling constants," as hypothesized by Paul Dirac. Coupling constants are fundamental physical constants that govern the interactions between particles. According to Dirac, these constants might have varied over time. By allowing them to evolve, the timeframe for the formation of early galaxies observed by the Webb telescope at high redshifts can be extended from a few hundred million years to several billion years. This provides a more feasible explanation for the advanced level of development and mass observed in these ancient galaxies.

Moreover, Gupta suggests that the traditional interpretation of the "cosmological constant," which represents dark energy responsible for the accelerating expansion of the universe, needs revision. Instead, he proposes a constant that accounts for the evolution of the coupling constants. This modification in the cosmological model helps address the puzzle of small galaxy sizes observed in the early universe, allowing for more accurate observations.

Experts claim that the Big Bang happened 26.7 billion years agoThis is twice as old as previous estimates, which suggest it was 13.7 billion years old

7) Chandrayaan 3 launch live updates: Launch successful, journey to Moon begins:

The Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan-3 mission has launched from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota at 2.35 PM IST on Thursday, July 14.

If Isro pulls this mission off successfully, India will join an exclusive list of just three other countries that have managed a soft landing on the Moon—the United States, the erstwhile Soviet Union and most recently, China. Both the United States and the Soviet Union crashed many spacecraft before they successfully landed on the Moon. China was the only country to succeed in its first attempt with the Chang’e-3 mission in 2013.

The spacecraft has successfully taken off from Earth and is now in orbit around the planet in its journey towards the Moon. It has many critical events lined up, including earth-bound manoeuvres, insertion into the lunar orbit, separation of the lander, a set of deboost manoeuvres and a power descent phase for a soft landing, according to P Veeramuthuvel, project director of the Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft.

 

1) Delhi flood: Yamuna water reaches near Supreme Court, remains over danger mark. 10 updates By Aniruddha Dhar :

Delhi Flood News Updates: A total of 23,692 people were evacuated from the adjacent areas of the Yamuna River in Delhi. The water level of the Yamuna River in Delhi decreased to 208.46 metres at 6am on Friday, but continuously remains over the danger mark of 205.33. A total of 23,692 people were evacuated on Thursday from the adjacent areas of the Yamuna River in Delhi, an official statement said.

Roads turned into rivers and water gushed into houses, medical facilities, crematoriums and shelter homes in Delhi as the Yamuna river water level rose to a record high.

Top updates on the Delhi flood:

1. Several key areas in Delhi, including the secretariat which houses the offices of the chief minister as well as his cabinet colleagues, were flooded on Thursday as authorities scrambled to lead rescue and relief efforts. On Friday morning, waterlogging continued near Rajghat due to the rise in water level in Yamuna river after heavy rain. On ITO road, people face problems due to waterlogging.

2. On Thursday night, Yamuna flood water reached close to the Supreme Court due to the possible backflow of water from drains. Some portions of Mathura Road and Bhagwan Das road near the Supreme Court were flooded.

3. Authorities closed all schools and colleges till July 16 and ban the entry of heavy goods vehicles engaged in non-essential services.

4. Delhi is staring at a drinking water shortage as the Delhi government decided to cut down supply by 25 per cent following the closure of three water treatment plants -- Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla -- due to the rising level of the Yamuna.

5. Although the Yamuna water level remained stable for three hours on Thursday, it started rising again to reach 208.66 by 7pm, three metres above the danger mark.

6. Chief minister Arvind Kekriwal said that entry of heavy vehicles, except those providing essential services have been banned. He also requested the Delhiites, residing in flood-affected areas, to not leave their houses if not essential.

7. The Outer Ring Road near the Red Fort, Vishwakarma Colony, Yamuna Bazar, ISBT bus terminus, Kashmere Gate, Shankaracharya Road, Majnu Ka Tila, Batla House, Kirari and Kingsway Camp were among other areas that were inundated.

8. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi on Wednesday issued an advisory asking people not to go to Nigambodh Ghat to carry out last rites. The crematorium in Geeta Colony too was closed due to the rise in Yamuna water levels.

9. The Archaeological Survey of India on Thursday announced that Red Fort will remain closed for the general public and visitors from the second half of July 13 to July 14 due to heavy monsoon and rainfall in the national capital.

10. Twelve National Disaster Response Force teams, equipped with inflatable boats, ropes and other equipment continued with the rescue and evacuation work along with Delhi Fire Service and police on Thursday.

2) Bengal Panchayat Polls Results Out: 100, 92, 80% – that’s TMC strike rate in zilla parishad, panchayat samiti and gram panchayat election:

Mamta Banerjee-led TMC's landslide victory was spread across the state -- from South 24 Parganas to Cooch Behar in the north

Strengthening its dominance in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday registered a landslide victory in the panchayat elections, winning all the 20 zilla parishads in the state.

In the other two tiers of the panchayat system, the ruling party remained invincible, winning nearly 80% (2,641 of the total 3,317) gram panchayats and 92% (313 of the total 341) panchayat samitis as per the results declared by the State Election Commission on Wednesday night.

The landslide victory was spread across the state — from South 24 Parganas to Cooch Behar in the north. In the two Hill districts of Kalimpong and Darjeeling, the TMC was not able to open its account, but its ally BGPM (Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha) won a majority – 30/42 gram panchayats in Kalimpong and 38/70 gram panchayats in Darjeeling.

TMC’s second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said that the “roaring mandate” would pave the way for the party’s performance in the next year’s Lok Sabha elections. The BJP, which emerged as the main Opposition after winning 77 seats in the 2021 state Assembly polls, failed to win a single zilla parishad, the top tier of the three-tier panchayat system.

In terms of seats in zilla parishads, the TMC won 880 out of the total 928 seats, BJP managed to win only 31 seats, while the Congress and Left Front won 13 and two seats, respectively.

In panchayat samitis, the second-tier, the TMC won a massive 313 panchayat samitis, while the BJP won only seven. The Left Front won two, while the Congress failed to open its account. Other parties, including Independents, won nine panchayat samitis, while there was a hung condition in 11 panchayat samitis. When it came to gram panchayats, the lowest tier in the panchayat system, the TMC won 2,641 out of 3,317. Putting up a better performance, the BJP won 230 gram panchayats. The Congress and Left Front won 11 and 19 gram panchayats, respectively. However, no party could emerge as a clear winner in 267 gram panchayats. Others and Independents won 149.

The Trinamool Congress has won a majority of gram panchayats in almost all districts — Howrah (152 out of 157), North 24 Parganas (189 out of 199), South 24 Parganas (281 out of 310), Purba Bardhaman (208 out of 215), Hooghly (189 out of 207), Dakshin Dinajpur (55 out of 64), Paschim Medinipur (194 out of 211), Cooch Behar (101 out of 128), Jhargram (63 out of 79), Alipurduar (54 out of 64), Bankura (162 out of 190), Jalpaiguri (66 out of 80) and most importantly in Murshidabad (221 out of 250) which witnessed violence.

In Malda, once a Congress stronghold, the TMC won 59 of the 146 gram panchayats, falling short of a majority, while 64 gram panchayats remained undecided. The district had witnessed large-scale violence during the election. The BJP put up its best performance in Purba Medinipur district where it won 61 gram panchayats out of the total 223. Purba Medinipur is the home district of Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.

In neighbouring Nadia district, the BJP won 44 gram panchayats out of the total 185.

Going by the gram panchayat results, the BJP lost ground in Junglemahal and north Bengal regions – considered the party’s stronghold since 2019 Lok Sabha polls when it won 18 seats in the state.

West Bengal Panchayat Elections: 9 dead on voting day, booth captured, ballot box set on fire and houses vandalized......

3) Modi attends French Bastille Day celebrations as Chief Guest:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who started a two-day visit to France on July 13, received France’s highest civilian and military honour by French President Emmanuel Macron. Today, Mr. Modi and Mr. Macron are set to announce key defence deals between the two countries

On his second day in Paris, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attends France’s annual Bastille Day military parade where he is the Guest of Honour.

After receiving the Legion of Honour, France’s highest civilian and military honour, on Thursday (July 13), Mr. Modi on Friday (July 14) thanked French President Emmanuel Macron and France’s first lady Brigitte Macron for hosting him at the Elysee Palace. Taking to his official Twitter handle, PM Modi stated, “I thank President @EmmanuelMacron and Mrs. Macron for hosting me at the Élysée Palace this evening.

On Friday (July 14), Mr. Modi and Mr. Macron are expected to finalise and announce key defence deals, including India’s procurement of 26 Rafale-M fighters to operate off the aircraft carriers and three additional Scorpene-class diesel-electric submarines from France.

1.1. Honour at the Military Parade:

PM Modi has been invited as the chief guest at France’s military parade, a signal of high esteem. The last foreign leader to receive this invitation was former US president Donald Trump in 2017.

1.2. Formal Talks and Engagements:

Modi will hold formal talks with President Emmanuel Macron, followed by a state banquet and a private dinner hosted by the French president. Meetings with French counterparts and interactions with the Indian diaspora, business leaders, and notable personalities are also scheduled.

1.3. Defence Cooperation:

The visit is expected to finalize several agreements to enhance defence cooperation, including the acquisition of 26 naval variants of the Rafale combat jet and three Scorpene-class submarines. Additionally, discussions on joint development of fighter jet engines with Safran, a French aircraft equipment manufacturer, and a roadmap for defence-industrial cooperation are anticipated.

4) European Parliament asks India to act promptly to end Manipur violence

India reacts strongly to the resolution, calling the move “unacceptable” and reflective of a “colonial mindset”

Shortly before Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Paris on a State visit, in another French city, Strasbourg, the European Parliament (EP) called on the Indian government to act “promptly” to halt the violence in Manipur and protect religious minorities. The resolution was passed by a show of hands on Thursday after a debate on the issue on Wednesday evening. The government called the E.U. legislature action “unacceptable”.

The EP resolution asked the government “to protect all religious minorities, such as Manipur’s Christian community, and to pre-empt any further escalation”. It also calls on authorities to grant unhindered access to the area by journalists and international observers and to end Internet shutdowns.

EU Parliament condemns India over Manipur violence, New Delhi slams 'colonial mindset'

On the day Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in France to kick off his two-day visit, the European Parliament adopted a resolution condemning the ruling government over the Manipur violence and urged them to protect the rights of the minorities.

“MEPs [Members of the European Parliament] call on the Indian authorities to allow independent investigations to look into the violence, to tackle impunity and to lift the internet ban,” the legislators in the resolution stated.

The resolution denounced “in the strongest terms nationalistic rhetoric deployed by leading members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)”.

Hours later, India sharply slammed the European leaders, and asked them not to interfere in its internal matters and added that proper steps are being taken to ensure peace in the northeastern state.

The debate on the Manipur clashes was added to the parliament agenda on Wednesday to discuss about cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law during its ongoing plenary session in Strasbourg, France.

'India promoting Hindu majoritarianism'

The resolution highlighted the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’s concern in October 2020 in which it had urged the Indian government to safeguard the rights of human rights defenders, shrinking space for civil society and the accusations made by human rights organisations against the BJP of “divisive ethno-nationalistic policies.”

The resolution said that there have been concerns about “politically motivated, divisive policies that promote Hindu majoritarianism in the area”.

“Whereas violence in India’s Manipur state has erupted along ethnic and religious lines between the mainly Hindu Meitei community and the Christian Kuki tribe, leading to a cycle of violence with over 100 people killed, over 40,000 displaced and the destruction of property and places of worship,” the resolution said.

“Whereas Manipur has previously faced secessionist insurgencies in which serious human rights abuses were committed. Whereas, in the latest round of violence human rights groups have accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government in Manipur and nationally of implementing divisive ethno-nationalistic policies which oppress in particular religious minorities.India's Manipur state on the boil, Internet snapped since first week of May

New Delhi's response

Responding to the resolution, Indian Ministry of External Affair's official spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that the debate reflects Europe's "colonial mindset", and told them to stop meddling in India's internal matters.

"We have seen that the European Parliament held a discussion on developments in Manipur and adopted a so-called Urgency Resolution. Such interference in India's internal affairs is unacceptable and reflects a colonial mindset."

"Indian authorities at all levels, including the judiciary, are seized of the situation in Manipur and are taking steps to maintain peace and harmony and law and order. The European Parliament would be well advised to utilize its time more productively on its internal issues,” he said

Manipur violence

Violent ethnic clashes between the Kuki and majority Meitei communities since May 3 have paralysed the state, as widespread violence and arson continue to deepen the crisis. At least 150 people have been killed and nearly 60,000 have been displaced.

5) ED chief SK Mishra’s tenure extensions invalid, he must go July 31: Supreme Court

Those rejoicing delusional, ED powers to strike at corrupt remain, says Union Home Minister Amit Shah

Declaring as “not valid in law” the two tenure extensions granted by the government to Sanjay Kumar Mishra, Director of Enforcement Directorate, beyond the September 8, 2021 cut-off date it had fixed, the Supreme Court Tuesday said he can continue on the post only until July 31.

This cuts short Mishra’s stint as the ED chief. In November last year, the 1984-batch IRS officer was granted a second tenure extension up to November 18, 2023.

The bench of Justices B R Gavai, Vikram Nath and Sanjay Karol, however, upheld as constitutional the amendments made to the Central Vigilance Commission Act, 2003, The Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, and the Fundamental Rules in 2021, enabling the tenure extension.

The bench’s directions came on a clutch of petitions including those filed by Jaya Thakur of Congress and Mahua Moitra of the TMC.

In a Twitter post hours later, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said, “Those rejoicing over the Hon’ble SC decision on the ED case are delusional for various reasons: The amendments to the CVC Act, which were duly passed by the Parliament, have been upheld. Powers of the ED to strike at those who are corrupt and on the wrong side of the law remain the same.”

“ED is an institution which rises beyond any one individual and is focused on achieving its core objective – i.e. to investigate offences of money laundering and violations of foreign exchange laws. Thus, who the ED director is – that is not important because whoever assumes this role will take note of the rampant corruption of a cosy club of entitled dynasts who have an anti-development mindset,” Shah said.

Under Mishra’s watch, the ED moved swiftly on cases filed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, especially those allegedly involving Opposition leaders and their kin.In April this year, the Supreme Court declined to entertain a plea by 14 political parties which alleged “selective and targeted” use of Central probe agencies such as the ED and CBI by the BJP-led Central government against their leaders. The top court said it can intervene in individual cases when facts are before it, but cannot lay down separate general guidelines only for politicians who “stand absolutely on the same standing as the (rest of the) citizens of the country”.

On Tuesday, the top court allowed Mishra to remain on the post until July 31, taking into account the government’s submission that India is undergoing a Financial Action Task Force (FATF) review and his continuance in office is necessary for “effective presentation of the efforts made by the country”.

The bench also noted that the appointment of a new ED Director “is likely to take some time”.It noted that the Supreme Court, in its September 8, 2021 ruling in the matter Common Cause (A Registered Society) v. Union of India and Others, had issued a “specific mandamus that no further extension shall be granted to” Mishra and that this “was binding on” the parties, one of which was the Centre.

“We, therefore, find that the” Centre “could not have issued orders dated 17th November 2021 and 17th November 2022 in breach of the mandamus issued by this Court,” Justice Gavai, writing for the bench, said.

Mishra, who used to be Principal Special Director in ED, was appointed its Director on November 19, 2018, for a period of two years. On November 13, 2020, this was amended and made three years.

This was challenged by Common Cause. Although the Supreme Court dismissed the petition on September 8, 2021, it directed that no further extension be granted to Mishra.

Subsequently, the government amended the CVC Act and DSPE Act, giving itself the powers to extend the tenure of the ED Director and CBI Director.The changes to the CVC and DSPE Act were again challenged before the Supreme Court with the petitioners contending that it would defeat the directive it had issued in 1997 in Vineet Narain and Others v. Union of India and Another to have a fixed tenure of the CBI chief.

On amendments made to the CVC Act, DSPE Act and Fundamental Rules in 2021, the judgement referred to the need to exercise self-imposed limits while undertaking judicial review of legislative or executive actions and said “it has been the consistent view of this Court that legislative enactment can be struck down only on two grounds. Firstly, that the appropriate legislature does not have the competence to make the law; and secondly, that it takes away or abridges any of the Fundamental Rights enumerated in Part III of the Constitution or any other constitutional provisions”. It said “in the present case, it is nobody’s case that Parliament did not have power to enact on the subject on which the aforesaid Amendments have been enacted” and added that the amendments do not grant arbitrary power to the government to extend the tenure of the Director of ED or CBI.

The bench said that “what has been directed by this Court in the case of Vineet Narain… and in subsequent judgments… is that such Director should have a minimum tenure of two years irrespective of their date of superannuation. By the impugned Amendments, the said period is not tinkered with”.

Amit Shah on ED Chief extension row: 'Those rejoicing over SC verdict are delusional'

6) Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge invites leaders for next Opposition meet in Bengaluru on July 17-18:

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge invites leaders for next Opposition meet in Bengaluru on July 17-18

The next meeting of Opposition parties will be held in Bengaluru on July 17 and 18, the Congress announced on Monday, and asserted their resolve to defeat the BJP has been strengthened by the “Mumbai operations” of the “BJP washing machine”.

Congress general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal made the announcement of Opposition meeting dates on Twitter and said “we are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces”. “After a hugely successful all-opposition meeting in Patna, we will be holding the next meeting in Bengaluru on 17 and 18 July, 2023. We are steadfast in our unwavering resolve to defeat the fascist and undemocratic forces and present a bold vision to take the country forward,” Venugopal said.

Congress general secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh took a dig at the BJP over the NCP’s Ajit Pawar and eight other leaders being inducted into the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government.“Yesterday when the BJP Washing Machine restarted in Mumbai with its ICE (Incometax, CBI, ED) detergent, BJP-inspired obituaries on Opposition unity were being planted. The obit writers will be disappointed. The next meeting of the parties that met at Patna on June 23rd will be held in Bengaluru on July 17th & 18th,” he said.

“If anything the Mumbai operations have strengthened Opposition resolve,” Ramesh said on Twitter.

In a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ramesh tagged a picture of ‘Modi Washing Powder’ with the tagline ‘saare daag chutkiyon mein dhule (removes all stains in a jiffy)’.

TMC’s leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O’Brien also tagged Venugopal’s tweet and said, “Bengaluru Summit. All For One. One For All.”              

Earlier, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had said the next opposition meet will be held in Bengaluru on July 13-14. Those dates were said to be clashing with the Assembly sessions in a few states.

The first meeting of Opposition parties was held in Bihar’s Patna on June 23.

Sonia Gandhi's dinner outreach; 24 parties invited to 2nd Opposition meet

The Patna meeting of the opposition parties was attended by Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge. This time, Sonia Gandhi is likely to attend.

A total of 24 parties are likely to attend the second meeting of the united opposition in Bengaluru to be held on July 17-18, news agency ANI reported citing sources. On July 17, Sonia Gandhi is likely to invite all the party leaders to dinner. While Indian Union Muslim League is a new entry, the Aam Aadmi Party has also been extended the invitation after the apparent showdown at the first meeting in Patna over the issue of Congress's support to the ordinance issue. Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi is likely to attend the Bengaluru meeting, the report said. Karnataka deputy chief minister Dk Shivakumar also claimed the same earlier. Read | Akhilesh Yadav for prime minister? Teaser reply to question on Oppn PM candidate

The Patna meeting was attended by around 17 parties. This time seven new parties have been sent the invitation, including "Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK), Kongu Desa Makkal Katchi (KDMK), Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), All India Forward Bloc, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), Kerala Congress (Joseph), and Kerala Congress (Mani).

KDMK and MDMK were previous allies of the BJP during 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The June 23 meeting in Patna was attended by Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge, Mamata Banerjee, Sharad Pawar among other opposition leaders. The Aam Aadmi Party said it will pull out of the opposition unity if the Congress does not support the party on the Delhi Ordinance issue.

What happened between the 1st and the 2nd meeting of the opposition

A lot happened politically in the month between the first and the second meeting of the opposition. The Nationalist Congress Party split between Sharad Pawar and Ajit Pawar with both claiming to be the rightful NCP. Sharad Pawar is playing a crucial role in bringing the opposition together. Ajit Pawar camp's leader Praful Patel who attended the 1st meeting ridiculed the meeting and said he felt like laughing at the meeting as all parties had their different agendas. In West Bengal, Trinamool witnessed a massive victory in the Panchayat elections.

7) SC issues notice on Maha Speaker’s pending decision on Shinde-led Sena MLAs’ disqualification:

According to sources, the Sena and NCP are not able to come to terms with regards to the portfolio redistribution

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar had served notice to CM Shinde- led MLAs as well as 16 legislators belonging to the Shiv Sena (UBT) asking why their membership should not be terminated.

The Supreme Court today issued a notice on a plea of Uddhav Thackeray-led faction of Shiv Sena seeking direction to the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar to take an expeditious decision on the disqualification petitions pending against rebel MLAs led by Eknath Shinde. The SC has sought a response to the plea in two weeks, ANI reported.

The Maharashtra cabinet expansion and distribution of cabinet portfolios is “99 percent likely” by today, Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said on Thursday. Shiv Sena (UBT) responded by saying that the faction led by CM Eknath Shinde will not get any Cabinet berths.

SC notice should expedite process of disqualification of rebel MLAs: Sena (UBT) leader who moved court

The Supreme Court's notice to Maharashtra legislative assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar should now expedite the process of disqualification of 16 MLAs who rebelled against Uddhav Thackeray, said Sunil Prabhu, chief whip of the undivided Shiv Sena, on Friday.

Earlier in the day, an apex court bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud sought response from the office of the Speaker on Prabhu's plea seeking a direction to expeditiously adjudicate the disqualification petitions filed against Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and other Sena MLAs.

“The Supreme Court notice to the Speaker should now expedite the process of disqualification of 16 MLAs,” Prabhu told PTI.

He claimed that the court has asked the Speaker the reasons behind the delay in giving a decision on the disqualification pleas.

On Prabhu's plea, the Supreme Court (SC) bench on Friday said, “We will issue notice returnable in two weeks.” In his capacity as the chief whip of the undivided Shiv Sena, Prabhu had filed the disqualification petitions against Shinde and 15 Sena MLAs after their rebellion split the party and caused the collapse of the Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in June 2022. Shinde then tied up with the BJP to become the CM. (PTI)

8) Soaring vegetable prices may tip India's delicate inflation balance, economists say:

A steeper-than-expected surge in the prices of vegetables, especially tomatoes, over the past few weeks could push India's retail inflation towards 5.5% in the July-September quarter, at least three economists said.

The country's inflation eased to between 4% and 5% in April and May, inching towards the central bank's 4% target, and likely held below 5% in June as well, partly due to a supportive base, data due Wednesday is expected to show. However, if the spike in vegetable prices sustains, it could push July inflation towards 6%, said Gaura Sen Gupta, an economist at IDFC First Bank.

Vegetable prices, on a consumer price index (CPI)-weighted basis, are up 34% so far in July, after rising 18% in June, said Sen Gupta, based on data provided by the National Horticulture Board.

Tomato prices, in particular, surged 160% month-on-month in the first week of July, IDFC First Bank Economic Research data showed, due to unseasonal rains and crop damage in certain parts of the country.Even if prices start to cool off, inflation could hit 5.5% over July to September, Kaushik Das, Deutsche Bank's chief India economist, said in a note on Friday.

That is marginally higher than the 5.2% forecast by the Reserve Bank of India.

"While tomato prices have already increased sharply due to weather disruptions, other food items are also on the rise and the cumulative impact of these may be felt more in July than June," Das wrote. Nomura's economists expect inflation to average around 5.5% over July and August and while that will not force a rate hike, they expect it will keep monetary policy tight.

"Monetary policy is likely to focus more on underlying inflation than an outlier," economists Sonal Varma and Aurodeep Nandi said in a note last week.

"But a vegetable price-driven surge in the headline CPI could increase the policy trade-offs and risks delaying the first cut."

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das has maintained that the pause in rate hikes over the past two meetings should not be seen as a pivot as the disinflation process will be protracted.

9)BJP protest march ends in clashes with Bihar Police, one dead:

Police lathi charge BJP supporters during their protest march to the Bihar Legislative Assembly in support of the ongoing agitation of teacher aspirants, in Patna on July 13, 2023

A march by the Bharatiya Janata Party in Patna ended in a violent clash between protesters and the Bihar Police on Thursday. Vijay Singh, a BJP leader from Jehanabad, died allegedly after the lathi charge by the police. Many protesters were injured.The BJP had undertaken the march to the Vidhan Sabha seeking a reply on the issue of 10 lakh jobs promised by the Grand Alliance government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in the State. BJP MPs, MLAs, MLCs and workers had gathered at the historic Gandhi Maidan from where the march started. Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Legislative Assembly Vijay Kumar Sinha, BJP State president Samrat Choudhary and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi were leading the protest.

However, after walking for a few minutes, the protesters was stopped by police at Dak Bungalow roundabout. Initially, the police tried to stop protesters by making loudspeaker announcements. When the protesters tried to continue by breaking the barricade, the police launched a lathi charge.

The administration also used water cannons and tear gas to disperse the crowd. During the lathi charge, several BJP leaders and workers were injured. Maharajganj MP Janardhan Singh Sigriwal received a head injury and Aurangabad MP Sushil Singh was hit on his back. Many lawmakers tried to leave through bylanes; some of them fell down during the baton charge.Protesters carried chilli powder and they spread it on the faces of the police. One of the policemen said that his eyes were burning after a protester threw chilli powder on his face.

Security personnel baton charge BJP supporters during their Vidhan Sabha march, in Patna on Thursday

After three hours, police arrested all the protesting leaders, including Sushil Kumar Modi. Mr. Choudhary, Mr. Sinha, MLA Nand Kishore Yadav, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and Sanjay Paswan were also arrested.

Mr. Choudhary held the Chief Minister responsible for the death of Vijay Singh, the BJP’s Jehanabad district general secretary. The Patna district administration did not give any official information on the cause of death. District Public Relations Officer (DPRO) Lokesh Kumar Jha said that Mr. Singh had been found unconscious in the Chajju Bagh area and that there were no bruises on his body. He was taken to the Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH), where he died during treatment. He is survived by his wife, three daughters and a son.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said, “Our Jehanabad district general secretary Vijay Singh died after being brutally beaten up by the Bihar Police. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav are responsible for his death.”

Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) national president Chirag Paswan condemned the lathi charge and expressed deep grief over the death of the BJP leader.

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor took a jibe at Tejashwi Yadav saying that in order to conceal his inability to provide jobs for the youth, the protesters were attacked. Mr. Yadav had proved to be an inefficient leader, Mr. Kishor said.

Mr. Sinha said the BJP would hold a march to the Raj Bhavan on Friday against the lathi charge.

1) Canada Open 2023 badminton: Lakshya Sen beats All England Open champ Li Shi Feng to win title:

Lakshya Sen saved four game points in the second game to win his first title of the year. This was the Indian badminton player’s second BWF Super 500 title. India’s Lakshya Sen clinched the Canada Open 2023 badminton men’s singles title after beating the Republic of China’s Li Shi Feng in Calgary on Sunday.

Lakshya Sen, 19th in the badminton rankings, beat Li Shi Feng, the reigning All England champion, 21-18, 22-20 to win his first title of the year. This was also Lakshya Sen’s second BWF Super 500 title after the India Open in January last year.The 21-year-old Lakshya Sen became the Commonwealth Games champion in August 2022 but has struggled for form since undergoing nose surgery late last year. The loss of form saw him slip to world No. 25 in rankings in March from a career-best No. 6 in December.

The match against world No. 10 Li Shi Feng was the Indian badminton player’s first BWF World Tour final since the All England Championships last year, where he lost to Victor Axelsen. Lakshya Sen has competed in 12 BWF tournaments in the 2023 badminton season. Playing on the badminton courts of the Markin MacPhail Centre, Lakshya Sen started the match brightly. His precise cross-court smashes combined with brilliant play at the net helped him race to a 6-2 lead early in the first game.

Li Shi Feng caught up with Lakshya Sen at 15-15 but the latter unleashed a series of powerful smashes to take the next three points and eventually close the game.

Both players continued to engage in long rallies in the second game. Li Shi Feng was clinical at the net and led 10-6 at one stage. The match was heading into the decider with Li Shi Feng holding on to his four-point cushion at 20-16.

Lakshya Sen rode on a series of powerful smashes to save four game points and scored six straight points to settle the 50-minute affair. This was Lakshya’s fifth victory over Li Shi Feng in seven meetings. PV Sindhu was eliminated after losing to eventual champion Akane Yamaguchi of Japan in the women’s singles semi-finals on Saturday.

Indians have now won five BWF World Tour titles this year. Priyanshu Rajawat claimed the Orleans Masters in April, HS Prannoy bagged the Malaysia Masters in May and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty won the Swiss Open in March and the Indonesia Open in June.

The Indian badminton players will travel to the United States for the US Open BWF Super 300 tournament starting on Tuesday.

2) Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023: India beat Iran in final to win title

The Indian men’s kabaddi team defeated Iran 42-32 in the final after going undefeated in the league phase. India beat Iran 42-32 in the final of the Asian Kabaddi Championship 2023 at the Dong-Eui Institute of Technology Seokdang Cultural Center in Busan, Republic of Korea, on Friday. This was India’s eighth title in the last nine editions.

Indian captain Pawan Sehrawat led from the front with a super 10.

The Indian men’s kabaddi team trailed Iran in the first five minutes of the game. However, a couple of tackle points by the defenders and successful raids from Pawan Sehrawat and Aslam Inamdar handed Iran their first all-out of the match in the 10th minute.

With momentum on their side, the Indian kabaddi side quickly built on their lead riding on a splendid all-round display. India, the defending champions, allowed Iran a few easy bonus points but inflicted a second all-out on Iran in the 19th minute.

India went into the second half leading 23-11. However, Iranian captain Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh, with a two-point raid followed by a super raid, helped inflict the first all-out on India in the 29th minute.

Iran reduced the deficit to 38-31 with two minutes to go, making for a nervy end but India held on to eke out a 42-32 win.

Earlier in the day, India had beaten Hong Kong 64-20 to end the league stage of the tournament undefeated.

Six teams - India, Iran, Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong - participated in the Asian Kabaddi Championships. India won all five matches in the league stage and topped the points table. Iran came second, only losing to India in the league stage, and made the final.

While India’s biggest win in the league stage, a 76-13 victory, came against Korea on the opening day of the tournament, their narrowest victory of 33-28 came against Iran on Thursday.

The next big challenge for the Indian kabaddi teams will be the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou, China from September 23 to October 8. Iran, who beat India in the semi-finals in Jakarta in 2018, will be the defending champions at the continental multi-sport showpiece.

3) World Archery Youth Championships 2023: Results and India’s medal winners:

 

India finished with a total of 11 medals - six gold, one silver and four bronze – across the U18 and U21 age groups in Limerick, Ireland.

India won 11 medals at the World Archery Youth Championships 2023 in Limerick, Ireland held from July 3-9. The medal haul of the 24-member Indian contingent included six gold, one silver and four bronze.

The World Archery Youth Championships 2023 had events for men’s and women’s recurve and compound archers in the under-21 and under-18 age categories. Individual, as well as team events, took place at the University of Limerick. India sent 12 archers each in the U21 and U18 age groups.

Of the 11 medals India won, six were bagged in the U21 category -- four gold and two bronze. The remaining five medals were claimed in the U21 category -- two gold, one silver and two bronze.

At the last edition of the World Archery Youth Championships held in 2021 in Wroclaw, Poland, India won 15 medals, including eight golds.

India’s U21 archery squad was led by compound archer Priyansh, who won the individual gold medal in the men’s event and teamed up with Avneet Kaur in the mixed team for gold as well.

Recurve archer Parth Salunke, who was part of the gold-winning men’s team at the 2021 youth championships, won an individual gold in 2023 and settled for bronze in the mixed team event alongside Ridhi.

Meanwhile, India’s U18 contingent was spearheaded by 17-year-old women’s compound archer Aditi Gopichand Swami, who won individual gold and topped the podium alongside Aishwarya Sharma and Ekta Rani in the women’s team event.

The 2023 edition saw a total of 518 archers (277 men and 241 women) from 58 countries competing for medals in individual and team events.

World Archery Youth Championships 2023: India's U21 squad

Men's recurve: Parth Salunkhe, Rohit Kumar, Aditya Choudhary

Women's recurve: Ridhi, Bhargaviben Vargishkumar Bhagora, Bhajan Kaur

Men's compound: Priyansh, Prathamesh Jawkar, Kushal Dalal

Women's compound: Avneet Kaur, Parneet Kaur, Pragati

World Archery Youth Championships 2023 U21: Indian medal winners

World Archery Youth Championships 2023 U21: Indian medal winners

Archer  Event   Medal

Priyansh          Compound men's individual    Gold

Parth Salunkhe            Recurve men's individual         Gold

Avneet Kaur and Priyansh        Compound mixed team            Gold

Avneet Kaur, Parneet Kaur and Pragati Compound women’s team       Gold

Parth Salunkhe and Ridhi        Recurve mixed team     Bronze

Bhajan Kaur     Recurve women's individual    Bronze

4) IND vs WI 1st Test Day 2 As It Happened: India score 312/2 at stumps on Day 2 to extend lead to 162 runs:

ND vs WI 1st Test 2023 Live Score Spurred by debutant Yashasvi Jaiswal's unbeaten 143, India ended Day 2 with a lead of 162 runs

India vs West Indies 1st Test Day 2 Highlights: India are in the driver's seat after Day 1 of the first Test, thanks to Ashwin's bowling followed by Rohit Sharma-Yashasvi Jaiswal opening stand. India vs West Indies 1st Test Day 2 Highlights: India are in the driver's seat after Day 1 of the first Test, thanks to Ashwin's bowling followed by Rohit Sharma-Yashasvi Jaiswal opening stand.

5) Wimbledon 2023: Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz return to action in men’s semi-finals:

It’s men’s semi-final day at Wimbledon as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz look to set up a sensational final on Sunday.

Djokovic will take on Jannik Sinner as the 36-year-old Serbian continues the pursuit of an eighth Wimbledon title. The Italian eighth seed, who is playing in the first grand slam semi-final of his young career, led Djokovic by two sets in last year’s quarter-finals and will need to produce an even better performance to beat the 23-time slam champion.

That match will be followed by a mouthwatering contest between world No 1 Alcaraz, and the Russian third seed Daniil Medvedev. Alcaraz has played some incredible tennis en route to the semi-finals and will be the favourite to beat Medvedev, who saw off Chris Eubanks in the quarter-finals in a five-set battle.

Women Single News:

Elina Svitolina’s fairytale run at Wimbledon was ended in straight sets by Czech star Marketa Vondrousova in the first women’s semi-final on Thursday

Jabeur Tunisian sixth seed, last year’s runner-up, won 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-3 to the delight of the Centre Court crowd

Ons Jabeur is through to a second consecutive Wimbledon final after coming from a set down to beat Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka. The Jabeur Tunisian sixth seed, last year’s runner-up, won 6-7 (5) 6-4 6-3 to the delight of the Centre Court crowd, but Elina Svitolina’s fairytale run at Wimbledon was ended in straight sets by Czech star Marketa Vondrousova in the first women’s semi-final on Thursday.

Men Single News:

Novak Djokovic (left) and Carlos Alcaraz (right) progressed to the men’s singles final of Wimbledon on Friday

Wimbledon 2023, Day 12 Results: Djokovic, Alcaraz set up blockbuster final:

Wimbledon 2023, Day 12 Results: While four-time defending champion Djokovic beat Sinner, top seed Alcaraz defeated Medvedev in the semifinals.

Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz set up a blockbuster men’s singles final at Wimbledon on Friday.Four-time defending champion and second seed Djokovic defeated eighth-seeded Italian Jannik Sinner in straight sets.World No. 1 and top seed Carlos Alcaraz reached his maiden final at the grass Major with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over third-seeded Russian Daniil Medvedev.

In women’s doubles, the third-seeded Australian-Belgian pair of Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens, and 2019 champions Su-Wei Hsieh of Chinese Taipei and Barbora Strycova of Czech Republic made it to Sunday’s summit clash.

The Trial

Kajol is coming back to OTT Screens again with the Hotstar original show ‘The Trial’. The show is now streaming on Hotstar with 7 Episodes and all episodes are around 45 Minutes long. The show is now streaming on Hotstar in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and some dubbed versions.

Bird Box Barcelona

The first and biggest release of tonight is Netflix’s original Spin-Off film Bird Box Barcelona. The film is one of the much-awaited films of 2023 and now the film is finally going to release on Netflix. The film will release in Hindi, English, and a few dubbed version along with subtitles.

College Romance Season 4

The final season of the SonyLiv original and much-loved show College Romance is now coming with the Final season of the show. Season 4 of the show is now streaming on sonyLiv in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and some more versions.

Ajmer 92

The film portrays the events that unfolded in Ajmer, Rajasthan, where a group of young men led by Farooq and Nafis Chishty, members of the prominent Khadim family who were responsible for the caretaking of the Ajmer Sharif Dargah, approximately more than 250 Non-Muslim girls including minors repeated gang-raping and blackmailed for over several years, concluding in 1992

Book of This Week:

The Lost River (On The Trail Of The Sarasvati) By Michel Danino:

The Indian subcontinent was the scene of dramatic upheavals a few thousand years ago. The Northwest region entered an arid phase, and erosion coupled with tectonic events played havoc with river courses. One of them disappeared. Celebrated as -Sarasvati’ in the Rig Veda and the Mahabharata, this river was rediscovered in the early nineteenth century through topographic explorations by British officials. Recently, geological and climatological studies have probed its evolution and disappearance, while satellite imagery has traced the river’s buried courses and isotope analyses have dated ancient waters still stored under the Thar Desert. In the same Northwest, the subcontinent’s first urban society”the Indus civilization”flourished and declined. But it was not watered by the Indus alone: since Aurel Stein’s expedition in the 1940s, hundreds of Harappan sites have been identified in the now dry Sarasvati’s basin. The rich Harappan legacy in technologies, arts and culture sowed the seeds of Indian civilization as we know it now. Drawing from recent research in a wide range of disciplines, this book discusses differing viewpoints and proposes a harmonious synthesis”a fascinating tale of exploration that brings to life the vital role the -lost river of the Indian desert’ played before its waters gurgled to a stop.