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Korea's 'Artificial Sun' Reaches Temperature Of 100 Million Degree Celsius

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Korean Fusion Reactor 'Artificial Sun' Sets Record For Sustaining Plasma At 100 Million Degree Celsius

The facility’s previous record, set in 2021, was just 30 seconds.

South Korean scientists have set a new world record using the Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) device, an “artificial Sun” nuclear fusion reactor. According to CNN, The team generated plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius for 48 seconds during tests between December 2023 and February 2024. This temperature is seven times that of the Sun’s core, which is 15 million degrees Celsius. 

The facility’s previous record, set in 2021, was just 30 seconds. “Despite being the first experiment run in the environment of the new tungsten diverters, thorough hardware testing and campaign preparation enabled us to achieve results surpassing those of previous KSTAR records in a short period,” Si-Woo Yoon, director of the KSTAR Research Center, explained in a statement.

Increasing the time spent at that temperature was tricky due to “the unstable nature of the high-temperature plasma,” making the new record a significant step, Mr Yoon told CNN. He added that scientists will now aim to sustain plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius for 300 seconds by 2026.

Nuclear fusion seeks to replicate the reaction that makes the sun and other stars shine, by fusing two atoms to unleash huge amounts of energy. Fusion has the potential to provide limitless energy without planet-warming carbon pollution.

The most common way of achieving fusion energy involves a doughnut-shaped reactor called a tokamak in which hydrogen variants are heated to extraordinarily high temperatures to create plasma. High temperature and high-density plasmas, in which reactions can occur for long durations, are vital for the future of nuclear fusion reactors.

The KFE scientists said they managed to extend the time by tweaking the process, including using tungsten instead of carbon in the “diverters,” which extract heat and impurities produced by the fusion reaction.

The latest record “will be of great help to secure the predicted performance in ITER operation in time and to advance the commercialization of fusion energy,” Mr Yoon said. 

India

Man Loses Rs 6.72 Lakh After Leaving Wallet Unattended At Cricket Ground

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Mumbai Man Loses Rs 6.72 Lakh After Leaving Wallet Unattended At Cricket Ground

Investigations are underway to identify the accused, police said. (Representational)

Mumbai:

 A 28-year-old chartered accountant lost Rs 6.72 lakh after his credit and debit cards were stolen when he left his belongings unattended to play cricket at Cross Maidan in south Mumbai, police said on Tuesday.

Based on a complaint, a case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Information Technology Act at Azad Maidan police station for the incident that took place on March 30, an official said.

The complainant, Vivek Dave, came to play cricket at Cross Maidan, changed into his gear and left his belongings, including his wallet with credit and debit cards and a mobile phone, in a bag, he said.

Later, while heading home on a train to Borivali, Mr Dave noticed bank transaction messages on his mobile phone, according to which around Rs 1 lakh was debited from his bank account, and purchases of more than Rs 5 lakh were made using his credit card, the official said.

According to the first information report, while the complainant played cricket for three hours, the unidentified accused stole his credit and debit cards, withdrew Rs 1 lakh cash from an ATM, and went on a shopping spree at four jewellery stores.

Mr Dave contacted one of the shops where the accused purchased jewellery using his card, and the shop owner sent him CCTV footage of the accused, the official said.

Investigations are underway to identify the accused, he added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Mayank Yadav Breaks Own Record, Produces Fastest Ball Of IPL 2024 Again

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Mayank Yadav continued his tremendous run of form as he took three wickets to guide Lucknow Super Giants to a brilliant win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Tuesday. Mayank, who bowled a 155.8 kmph ripper against Punjab Kings few days ago, once again produced a brilliant performance as he bowled the fastest delivery of IPL 2024 at 156.7 kmph. Mayank also took the extremely important wickets of Glenn Maxwell, Cameron Green and Rajat Patidar to completely dismantle RCB batting.

According to the IPL, Mayank currently holds the record of bowling the fastest delivery of IPL 2024 followed by Nandre Burger (153), Gerald Coetzee (152.3), Alzarri Joseph (151.2) and Matheesha Pathirana (150.9) .

Quinton de Kock‘s astute fifty and pace sensation Mayank Yadav’s youthful brilliance fashioned Lucknow Super Giants’ 28-run romp over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL match here on Tuesday.

Lucknow constructed their 181 for five around Quinton De Kock’s 81 (56b) and Nicholas Pooran‘s unbeaten 40 (21b).

RCB threatened to miraculously scale 182 briefly through Mahipal Lomror, who produced a forceful 33 off 13 balls.

However, Mayank’s scorching three-wicket haul (3/14) was not to be denied as the hosts were bundled out for 153.

But in reality, RCB’s chase never really took off – partly by their own follies and partly by the excellence of Lucknow bowlers.

Lucknow opened the bowling with two spinners – Manimaran Siddharth and Krunal Pandya – and it did surprise Faf du Plessis (19 off 13) and Virat Kohli (22 off 16).

But the introduction of pacer Naveen-ul-Haq saw Kohli upping the ante, smoking him for six over the bowler’s head.

The left-arm spinner Siddharth soon fetched the massive wicket of in-form Kohli as the latter’s attempt to go inside out resulted in a simple catch to Devdutt Padikkal at backward point.

RCB went on a slide from that point losing skipper du Plessis, to a mindless run-out, Glenn Maxwell and Cameron Green and found themselves at 58 for four in the eighth over.

This was the period when Mayank cranked up the pace in his three-over spell (3-0-13-2).

Maxwell tried to pull a 151 kmph laser beam from Mayank, but the high pace meant that the Aussie could not time his pull, resulting in a simple catch to Pooran at short mid-wicket.

Green was beaten by Mayank’s raw pace as the delivery straightened a bit after pitching on the good length to rattle his off-stump.

The right-arm quick later added Rajat Patidar (27) to his kitty to reduce RCB to 103 for six, and the home side was sinking fast then.

Earlier, De Kock manifested his exceptional hitting skills with a fifty but Lucknow could not progress beyond a par score.

The left-hander selected the bowlers and positions around the ground to play his shots with precision but the RCB bowlers did not allow other batsmen, except Pooran, a free run.

The Super Giants went off the block quickly, reaching 32 for no loss in three overs and then making it 54 in the Power Play.

Most of the runs came from the blade of De Kock, who took a particular liking for pacer Mohammed Siraj.

The South African slammed him for three sixes – two in succession – spread across two overs – two powerful pulls and a handsome loft over mid-wicket.

KL Rahul, who captained the side after coming in as an impact sub against Punjab Kings in the previous game, started slowly making six runs off his first 10 balls.

But a six off left-arm pacer Yash Dayal gave his innings momentum and later he swept spinner Maxwell for a six.

However, Rahul perished soon as an attempt to pull Maxwell’s good length delivery ended up in the palms of Mayank Dagar inside the circle.

The second substantial alliance in LSG innings followed Devdutt Padikkal’s exit as De Kock and Marcus Stoinis (24, 15b) added 56 runs off 30 balls for the third wicket.

De Kock, who brought his fifty in 36 balls, kept his end going during this alliance as Stoinis hammered a six each off Maxwell and Green as LSG rolled on.

But the blooming partnership ended when Stoinis’ half-hearted swat was pouched by Dagar at point. De Kock departed soon, lofting Reece Topley to Dagar at long-on.

The LSG were 143 for four in 16.3 overs at that stage and needed a few more runs to reach safer shores.

Pooran, who biffed left-armer seamer Topley for three sixes in a row in the 19th over and two more maximums in the final over off Mohammed Siraj, gave them those during his final assault.

(With PTI inputs)

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Trump Reprises "Bloodbath" Claim In Immigration Speech

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Trump Reprises 'Bloodbath' Claim In Immigration Speech

Trump said that US communities faced “plunder, rape and slaughter” at the hands of illegal immigrants.

Washington:

Donald Trump doubled down on his heavily criticized warning of a coming American “bloodbath” Tuesday as he told supporters US communities faced “plunder, rape and slaughter” at the hands of illegal immigrants.

In some of his most inflammatory comments to date on border security, Trump accused President Joe Biden of unleashing “carnage, chaos and killing” in a country he said was flooded with drugs and besieged by foreign criminal gangs.

“I stand before you today to declare that Joe Biden’s border bloodbath… it’s a bloodbath, and it’s destroying our country and it’s a very bad thing happening,” he said in an apocalyptic campaign speech in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“It’s going to end on the day that I take office.”

The former president — who faces a rematch against Biden in November’s election — spoke out as the Republican National Committee launched BidenBloodbath.com, a website warning of an “invasion aided and abetted by Joe Biden.”

While speaking about the potential loss of auto manufacturing jobs to foreign countries earlier this month in Ohio, Trump said if he wasn’t reelected, “it’s going to be a bloodbath for the country.”

The Biden campaign and Democrats accused him of fomenting “political violence,” prompting an indignant response from Trump aides who said it was clear the tycoon was using the term to describe economic devastation.

Trump is often criticized for using extreme language that experts fear increases the risk of violence, whether in social media posts about his multiple prosecutions or at his rallies.

– Violent crime dropping –

He referred to illegal immigrants accused of criminality as “animals” in his fire-and-brimstone Michigan speech, highlighting the killings of several young women, allegedly by foreign nationals.

“Under crooked Joe Biden every state is now a border state. Every town is now a border town,” Trump thundered.

“Because Joe Biden has brought the carnage, chaos and killing from all over the world and dumped it straight into our backyards.”

He vowed to stop the “plunder, rape, slaughter and destruction of our American suburbs, cities and towns.”

While illegal border crossings hit record highs during Biden’s presidency, violent crime — in Michigan and nationwide — has been dropping since it spiked under Trump during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic.

The speech came with the billionaire aiming to jumpstart his campaign with back-to-back rallies in Michigan and Wisconsin, two swing states crucial to his bid to defeat Biden.

The Republican faces more than 80 felony counts and has been in and out of court for much of the campaign, staging just one rally between his rematch with Biden being set nearly three weeks ago and Tuesday’s event.

During an incendiary campaign, Trump has accused migrants of “poisoning the blood” of the country, sparking accusation that he was echoing Nazi language, and has vowed to “root out the communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs that live like vermin” in America.

The Democratic National Committee accused Trump of hypocrisy on immigration, pointing to his pressure on Republicans in Congress to tank a recent cross-party deal that would have secured the most stringent border security measures in a generation.

– Swing states –

Tuesday’s first address was something of a homecoming for Trump, who closed out his successful 2016 campaign in Grand Rapids, winning Michigan on the way to claiming the keys to the White House.

Biden flipped the state back to Democratic in 2020, but polls currently have Trump in the lead, and the election is likely to come down to the wire.

It is also predicted to be tight in neighboring Wisconsin, where Trump was set to begin his second rally at 6:00 pm (2200 GMT).

Biden has been on a blitz through the swing states in recent weeks, visiting Wisconsin and Michigan as well as Arizona, Nevada, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

He holds a widening lead over his Republican rival in the fundraising stakes, while Trump is burning through money as he pays legal bills to battle multiple criminal and civil court cases.

Trump confirmed in Michigan that he had posted a $175 million bond in his New York civil fraud case, pausing collection of the more than $500 million awarded against him in damages and interest and preventing the state from seizing his assets pending an appeal.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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7 Dead After Massive Fire In Maharashtra's Aurangabad, Probe On

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7 Dead After Massive Fire In Maharashtra's Aurangabad, Probe On

Mumbai:

Seven people were killed after a massive fire broke out in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar today. Officials said that three women, two men and two children were killed in the blaze.

The fire started in a tailoring shop around 4 am, creating panic in neighborhood. Firefighters rushed to the scene and managed to extinguish the flames, but seven people had died in the fire by then.

Manoj Lohiya, the Police Commissioner of Sambhaji Nagar, said the fire started in the Alam Tailors shop. Residents inhabited the upper floors of the building. While the fire did not reach those living spaces, it is suspected that the victims may have succumbed to smoke inhalation.

Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire. Post-mortem examinations have been ordered for the victims.

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7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Taiwan, Tsunami Warning Issued

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7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Taiwan, Tsunami Warning Issued

Japan issues tsunami alert for its southern islands.

Tokyo:

A major earthquake hit Taiwan’s east shortly before 8:00 am (0000 GMT) local time Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings for the self-ruled island as well as parts of southern Japan.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake had a magnitude of 7.4, with its epicentre 18 kilometres (11 miles) south of Taiwan’s Hualien City at a depth of 34.8 km.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency put the magnitude at 7.5.

Tsunami waves as high as three metres (10 feet) were expected immediately for remote Japanese islands in the region, including Miyakojima island, the agency said.

“Evacuate!” said a banner on Japanese national broadcaster NHK.

“Tsunami is coming. Please evacuate immediately,” an anchor on NHK said. “Do not stop. Do not go back.”

The director of Taipei’s Seismology Centre called the earthquake “the strongest in 25 years”.

“The earthquake is close to land and it’s shallow. It’s felt all over Taiwan and offshore islands… it’s the strongest in 25 years since the (1999) earthquake,” Wu Chien-fu told reporters, referring to a September 1999 quake with 7.6-magnitude that killed 2,400 people.  

Live TV footage from the Okinawa region’s ports, including Naha, showed vessels heading out to sea, possibly in efforts to protect their ships.

Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes because the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates.

A 7.6-magnitude jolt hit Taiwan in September 1999, killing around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.

Japan experiences around 1,500 jolts every year.

The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to the depth of the epicentre below the Earth’s surface and its location.

The severity of tsunamis — vast and potentially destructive series of waves that can move at hundreds of miles (kilometres) per hour — also depends upon multiple factors.

Even larger quakes usually cause little damage in Japan and Taiwan thanks to special construction techniques and strict building regulations.

Japan has also developed sophisticated procedures and technology to alert and evacuate people when needed.

Japan’s biggest earthquake on record was a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea jolt in March 2011 off Japan’s northeast coast, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

The 2011 catastrophe also sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing Japan’s worst post-war disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

The total cost was estimated at 16.9 trillion yen ($112 billion), not including for the hazardous decommissioning of the Fukushima facility, which is expected to take decades.

Despite stricter building guidelines, many structures, particularly outside major cities, but not only there, are old and vulnerable.

This was brought home in the 7.5-magnitude New Year’s Day quake in 2024, which hit Noto Peninsula and killed more than 230 people, many of them when older buildings collapsed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Taiwan, Tsunami Warning Issued

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7.4 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Taiwan, Tsunami Warning Issued

Japan issues tsunami alert for its southern islands.

Tokyo:

A major earthquake hit Taiwan’s east shortly before 8:00 am (0000 GMT) local time Wednesday, prompting tsunami warnings for the self-ruled island as well as parts of southern Japan.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake had a magnitude of 7.4, with its epicentre 18 kilometres (11 miles) south of Taiwan’s Hualien City at a depth of 34.8 km.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency put the magnitude at 7.5.

Tsunami waves as high as three metres (10 feet) were expected immediately for remote Japanese islands in the region, including Miyakojima island, the agency said.

“Evacuate!” said a banner on Japanese national broadcaster NHK.

“Tsunami is coming. Please evacuate immediately,” an anchor on NHK said. “Do not stop. Do not go back.”

Live TV footage from the Okinawa region’s ports, including Naha, showed vessels heading out to sea, possibly in efforts to protect their ships.

Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes because the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates.

A 7.6-magnitude jolt hit Taiwan in September 1999, killing around 2,400 people in the deadliest natural disaster in the island’s history.

Japan experiences around 1,500 jolts every year.

The vast majority are mild, although the damage they cause varies according to the depth of the epicentre below the Earth’s surface and its location.

The severity of tsunamis — vast and potentially destructive series of waves that can move at hundreds of miles (kilometres) per hour — also depends upon multiple factors.

Even larger quakes usually cause little damage in Japan and Taiwan thanks to special construction techniques and strict building regulations.

Japan has also developed sophisticated procedures and technology to alert and evacuate people when needed.

Japan’s biggest earthquake on record was a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea jolt in March 2011 off Japan’s northeast coast, which triggered a tsunami that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

The 2011 catastrophe also sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing Japan’s worst post-war disaster and the most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

The total cost was estimated at 16.9 trillion yen ($112 billion), not including for the hazardous decommissioning of the Fukushima facility, which is expected to take decades.

Despite stricter building guidelines, many structures, particularly outside major cities, but not only there, are old and vulnerable.

This was brought home in the 7.5-magnitude New Year’s Day quake in 2024, which hit Noto Peninsula and killed more than 230 people, many of them when older buildings collapsed.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

India

Explainer: Could The Palestinians Become A Full United Nations Member?

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Explainer: Could The Palestinians Become A Full United Nations Member?

The Palestinians are a non-member observer state at the United Nations.

United Nations:

The Palestinian Authority on Tuesday formally asked for renewed consideration by the United Nations Security Council of its 2011 application to become a full member of the world body.

Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told Reuters on Monday that the aim was for the council to take a decision at an April 18 ministerial meeting on the Middle East, but that a vote had yet to be scheduled.

Here are details on U.N. membership:

What is the current status of the Palestinians at the UN?

The Palestinians are a non-member observer state at the United Nations, the same status as the Holy See.

The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in November 2012 by upgrading its observer status at the world body to “non-member state” from “entity.” There were 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions.

How does the United Nations admit new member states?

Countries seeking to join the U.N. usually present an application to the U.N. secretary-general, who sends it to the 15-member Security Council for an assessment and vote.

Mansour sent a letter to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday requesting renewed consideration by the Security Council of a Palestinian application for full membership made in 2011. Guterres has sent the letter to the Security Council, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said.

A council committee of the 15 members first assesses an application to see if it satisfies the requirements for U.N. membership. The application can then either be shelved or put forward for a formal vote in the Security Council. Approval requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the U.S., Russia, China, France or Britain.

If the council approves the membership request, it then moves to the General Assembly for approval. A membership request needs a two-thirds majority to be approved by the assembly. A country cannot join the United Nations unless both the Security Council and General Assembly approve.

What happened to the Palestinian application in 2011?

A U.N. Security Council committee assessed the Palestinian application for several weeks to see if it satisfied requirements for U.N. membership. But the committee was unable to reach a unanimous position and the Security Council never formally voted on a resolution on Palestinian membership.

Diplomats said the Palestinians lacked the minimum nine votes needed to adopt a resolution. Even if they had won enough support, the United States had said it would veto the move.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)