A photo of Tej Pratap and Anushka Yadav was shared on his social media last month, claiming they had been in a relationship for 12 years. The photo was later deleted, and the former minister of Bihar claimed his account was “hacked”
Tej Pratap Yadav today met Anushka Yadav, the woman whose viral photo with him led his father Lalu Prasad Yadav to snap all family and political ties with him.
“We have family relations, so I have come here. No one can stop me from going anywhere. I am in contact with everyone,” he said after a nearly 5-hour meeting with Ms Yadav.
A photo of the two was shared on Tej Pratap’s Facebook account last month, claiming they had been in a relationship for 12 years. The photo was later deleted, and the former minister of Bihar claimed his account was “hacked” and the photo was posted without his knowledge. The damage, however, was done.
The next day, on May 25, Lalu Prasad expelled him from RJD for six years and also disowned him due to his “irresponsible behaviour”.
Soon after, several photos of Anushka Yadav and Tej Pratap started doing the rounds on social media, which also drew a response from his estranged wife, Aishwarya Rai.
“Now everyone knows the truth. I want to know if everyone knew about it, then why did he marry me? Why did he ruin my life?” she said. “The 12-year secret is out now. If it was going on for so many years, then obviously, his family knew about it,” she said, referring to a now-deleted social media post by Tej Pratap,” she added.
Tej Pratap and Aishwarya Rai – granddaughter of former Bihar Chief Minister Daroga Prasad Rai – got married in 2018. They filed for a divorce within months of their wedding, and their petition is pending before a court
An Indian woman based in the United States has sparked a conversation on social media about passport privilege after posting a video on Instagram from a cramped hotel room at a German airport. Anisha Arora, a New York City resident, missed her connecting flight from Frankfurt due to a delay. While fellow passengers with American passports were offered stays in five-star hotels and free meals, Arora says she was given a “capsule-sized” room because of her Indian passport and lack of a Schengen visa. Her rant has gone viral.
“I never really cared about my passport until now,” she said in the video, filmed from the tiny room. Panning the camera around, she added: “So while other passengers are getting free stays at five star hotels and free breakfast and dinners, I am stuck in this stupid capsule.”Arora, who could not leave the airport since she did not have Schengen visa, said US passport holders were able to explore Germany during the long layover. “Any other US citizen in my position would have been so happy because they just got free everything and 20 hours to explore a new country, but not me because I have an Indian passport,” she said.
Her video resonated with users, who posted several comments on the video.
“Actually you have a flat bed and place to charge you phone ..what more do you need? Let be grateful?” said one user.
“It’s okay. We are only at 80th in passport ranking. If things go well we will soon be the 100th,” commented another.
India ranks 85th on the Henley Passport Index, far below the United States, which sits at number 9.
Former India batter Vinod Kambli is the living example of “from riches to rags”. Once considered as the future of Indian cricket, Kambli miserably failed to make it big in his career, due to his unhealthy lifestyle and lack of discipline. In December last year, he also came into the limelight after he was admitted Akruti Hospital in Thane for urinary infection and cramps. His poor health condition became the talk of the town and several big names came forward to offer him a financial aid.
Kambli, who is the legendary Sachin Tendulkar‘s childhood friend, played 104 ODIs and 17 Tests for India. Recently, a never-heard before story about Kambli and Sachin was shared by one of their mutual friends, during their days in Yorkshire.
Sachin joined Yorkshire in 1992, becoming the first overseas player to be signed by the English club. His friend Kambli was already in England, playing for a local club and made a big name for himself.
While playing for a local club, Kambli became a known face and made many friends over there. Solly Adams, the man who was responsible for Sachin’s contract, recently told the Indian Express that Kambli had turned down an offer of a part-time job.
“One day we were sitting, 10 cricketers. All of them had part-time jobs except for Vinod and Sachin. So a cricketer from Mumbai asked Vinod – ‘Since you only earn 25 pound a match, why don’t you work at one of Solly’s places? Kambli didn’t think for a minute, pat came his reply: ‘I and Sachin will make money playing Test cricket, I don’t want to divert my attention doing part-time jobs.’ That was exceptional.
Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has backed Punjabi star-singer Diljit Dosanjh amid the ongoing controversy regarding his recently released movie Sardaar Ji 3.
What’s Happening
Taking to his Facebook handle, the actor penned a note supporting Diljit Dosanjh. In the note, Naseeruddin Shah said the Punjabi star was not responsible for casting Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in the movie.
Shah shared, “I STAND FIRMLY WITH DILJIT.”
“He was not responsible for the casting of the film, the director was. But no one knows who he is whereas Diljit is known the world over, and he agreed to the cast because his mind is not poisoned,” he added.
In the same post, the actor said he has a couple of close relatives and friends in Pakistan and no one can stop him from meeting them. “What these goons want is to put an end to personal interaction between the people of India and Pakistan. I have close relatives and some dear friends there and no one can stop me from meeting them or sending them love whenever i feel like it. And my response to those who will say ‘Go to Pakistan’ is ‘GO TO KAILASA’,” he concluded.
Recent analysis of JWST data casts doubt on DMS signals found on exoplanet K2-18b. Scientists urge caution, noting the signals may stem from non-biological sources like ethane.
Last month, astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope made headlines by announcing they had detected hints of the chemicals dimethyl sulphide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) on the exoplanet K2-18b, located 124 light-years away from the Earth. These chemicals are only produced by life such as marine algae on Earth, meaning they are considered potential “biosignatures” indicating life. recent follow-up research questions the reliability of this finding. A new study led by researchers from the University of Chicago reanalysed the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) data and found the evidence for DMS far less convincing than previously reported.
Weakening of signals
According to a recent arxiv preprint, yet to be peer-reviewed, Rafael Luque, Caroline Piaulet-Ghorayeb, and Michael Zhang, used a joint approach by combining all JWST observations across its key instruments (NIRISS, NIRSpec, and MIRI). They found that the supposed DMS signal becomes significantly weaker when all data are considered together. Differences in data processing and modelling between the original studies also cast doubt on the initial results.
According to the team, even when DMS-like signals appear, they are weak, inconsistent, and can often be explained by other, non-biological molecules like ethane. The researchers stressed the importance of consistent modelling to avoid contradictory interpretations of planetary atmospheres.
Spectral Complexity
Molecules in an exoplanet’s atmosphere are typically detected through spectral analysis, which identifies unique “chemical fingerprints” based on how the planet’s atmosphere absorbs specific wavelengths of starlight as it passes or transits in front of its host star.
The difference between DMS and ethane a common molecule in exoplanet atmospheres is just one sulfur atom, and current spectrometers, including those on the JWST, have impressive sensitivity, but still face limits. The distance to exoplanets, the faintness of signals, and the complexity of atmospheres mean distinguishing between molecules that differ by just one atom is extremely challenging. The recent claim of a “3-sigma” detection of DMS falls short of the scientific standard for confirmation. The team calls for more rigorous standards in both scientific publication and media reporting.
A new model developed by Daniel Apai and his team offers a comprehensive method to assess the habitability of exoplanets.
A team of scientists, led by astrophysicist Daniel Apai from the University of Arizona, has developed a novel framework to assess the habitability of exoplanets-planets orbiting stars beyond our solar system. Traditionally, the search for extraterrestrial life has focused on the presence of water. However, Apai’s team introduces a more comprehensive model that considers various factors, including temperature and metabolic viability, to determine if known or hypothetical organisms could survive on distant worlds.
This new approach, detailed in their recent publication, emphasizes evaluating specific environmental conditions of exoplanets to assess their potential to support life. By moving beyond the simplistic criteria of water presence, the model aims to provide a more accurate assessment of a planet’s habitability.
According to The Metro, Apai’s work is part of the broader “Alien Earths” project, funded by NASA’s Astrobiology Program. This interdisciplinary initiative seeks to identify and characterize potentially habitable planets around nearby stars, guiding future missions in the search for life beyond Earth.
He wrote in The Conversation. “Even on Earth, organisms require different conditions to survive – there are no camels in Antarctica. By talking about specific organisms, we made the question easier to answer.”
“Second, the quantitative habitability framework does not insist on black-or-white answers. It compares computer models to calculate a probabilistic answer. Instead of assuming that liquid water is a key limiting factor, we compare our understanding of the conditions an organism requires (the “organism model”) with our understanding of the conditions present in the environment (the “habitat model”).”
Apai’s team developed a model to assess habitability by evaluating an organism’s needs beyond water. For example, camels require hot, dry climates, so the model correctly rates icy Antarctica as unsuitable. Testing the model on TRAPPIST-1e-like exoplanets, they assessed methanogens-ancient microbes-and found a 69% habitat suitability. This indicates such planets may support simple life forms and are strong candidates for further study.
With rapidly growing capabilities for characterising alien worlds, a more nuanced approach than the water or no-water classification is needed.
The search for life beyond Earth is a key driver of modern astronomy and planetary science. The U.S. is building multiple major telescopes and planetary probes to advance this search. However, the signs of life – called biosignatures – that scientists may find will likely be difficult to interpret. Figuring out where exactly to look also remains challenging.
My colleagues and I have developed a new approach that will identify the most interesting planets or moons to search for life and help interpret potential biosignatures. We do this by modeling how different organisms may fare in different environments, informed by studies of limits of life on Earth.
New Telescopes To Search For Life
Astronomers are developing plans and technology for increasingly powerful space telescopes. For instance, NASA is working on its proposed Habitable Worlds Observatory, which would take ultrasharp images that directly show the planets orbiting nearby stars.
My colleagues and I are developing another concept, the Nautilusspace telescope constellation, which is designed to study hundreds of potentially Earthlike planets as they pass in front of their host stars.
These and other future telescopes aim to provide more sensitive studies of more alien worlds. Their development prompts two important questions: “Where to look?” and “Are the environments where we think we see signs of life actually habitable?”
Oxford Languages defines “habitable” as “suitable or good enough to live in.” But how do scientists know what is “good enough to live in” for extraterrestrial organisms? Could alien microbes frolic in lakes of boiling acid or frigid liquid methane, or float in water droplets in Venus’ upper atmosphere?
To keep it simple, NASA’s mantra has been “follow the water.” This makes sense – water is essential for all Earth life we know of. A planet with liquid water would also have a temperate environment. It wouldn’t be so cold that it slows down chemical reactions, nor would it be so hot that it destroys the complex molecules necessary for life.
However, with astronomers’ rapidly growing capabilities for characterizing alien worlds, astrobiologists need an approach that is more quantitative and nuanced than the water or no-water classification.
A Community Effort
As part of the NASA-funded Alien Earths project that I lead, astrobiologist Rory Barnes and I worked on this problem with a group of experts – astrobiologists, planetary scientists, exoplanet experts, ecologists, biologists and chemists – drawn from the largest network of exoplanet and astrobiology researchers, NASA’s Nexus for Exoplanet System Science, or NExSS.
Over a hundred colleagues provided us with ideas, and two questions came up often:
First, how do we know what life needs, if we do not understand the full range of extraterrestrial life? Scientists know a lot about life on Earth, but most astrobiologists agree that more exotic types of life – perhaps based on different combinations of chemical elements and solvents – are possible. How do we determine what conditions those other types of life may require?
Second, the approach has to work with incomplete data. Potential sites for life beyond Earth – “extrasolar habitats” – are very difficult to study directly, and often impossible to visit and sample.
For example, the Martian subsurface remains mostly out of our reach. Places like Jupiter’s moon Europa’s and Saturn’s Moon Enceladus’ subsurface oceans and all extrasolar planets remain practically unreachable. Scientists study them indirectly, often only using remote observations. These measurements can’t tell you as much as actual samples would.
To make matters worse, measurements often have uncertainties. For example, we may be only 88% confident that water vapor is present in an exoplanet’s atmosphere. Our framework has to be able to work with small amounts of data and handle uncertainties. And, we need to accept that the answers will often not be black or white.
First, we moved away from trying to answer the vague “habitable to life” question and narrowed it to a more specific and practically answerable question: Would the conditions in the habitat – as we know them – allow a specific (known or yet unknown) species or ecosystem to survive?
Even on Earth, organisms require different conditions to survive – there are no camels in Antarctica. By talking about specific organisms, we made the question easier to answer.
Second, the quantitative habitability framework does not insist on black-or-white answers. It compares computer models to calculate a probabilistic answer. Instead of assuming that liquid water is a key limiting factor, we compare our understanding of the conditions an organism requires (the “organism model”) with our understanding of the conditions present in the environment (the “habitat model”).
Both have uncertainties. Our understanding of each can be incomplete. Yet, we can handle the uncertainties mathematically. By comparing the two models, we can determine the probability that an organism and a habitat are compatible.
As a simplistic example, our habitat model for Antarctica may state that temperatures are often below freezing. And our organism model for a camel may state that it does not survive long in cold temperatures. Unsurprisingly, we would correctly predict a near-zero probability that Antarctica is a good habitat for camels.
We had a blast working on this project. To study the limits of life, we collected literature data on extreme organisms, from insects that live in the Himalayas at high altitudes and low temperatures to microorganisms that flourish in hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor and feed on chemical energy.
We explored, via our models, whether they may survive in the Martian subsurface or in Europa’s oceans. We also investigated if marine bacteria that produce oxygen in Earth’s oceans could potentially survive on known extrasolar planets.
Although comprehensive and detailed, this approach makes important simplifications. For example, it does not yet model how life may shape the planet, nor does it account for the full array of nutrients organisms may need. These simplifications are by design.
In most of the environments we currently study, we know too little about the conditions to meaningfully attempt such models – except for some solar system bodies, such as Saturn’s Enceladus.
The quantitative habitability framework allows my team to answer questions like whether astrobiologists might be interested in a subsurface location on Mars, given the available data, or whether astronomers should turn their telescopes to planet A or planet B while searching for life. Our framework is available as an open-source computer model, which astrobiologists can now readily use and further develop to help with current and future projects.
If scientists do detect a potential signature of life, this approach can help assess if the environment where it is detected can actually support the type of life that leads to the signature detected.
Our next steps will be to build a database of terrestrial organisms that live in extreme environments and represent the limits of life. To this data, we can also add models for hypothetical alien life. By integrating those into the quantitative habitability framework, we will be able to work out scenarios, interpret new data coming from other worlds and guide the search for signatures of life beyond Earth – in our solar system and beyond.
Cosmic dawn insights shed light on the universe’s early stages, providing an understanding of the universe’s origins.
Astronomers have used Earth-based telescopes to observe “Cosmic Dawn”, which is the early period in the universe’s history, around 800 million years after the Big Bang, when the first stars and galaxies formed, emitting light that ended the cosmic dark ages.
This era was a significant milestone in the universe’s evolution as massive stars and galaxies were formed and the universe’s structure and composition were shaped.
Scientists have used James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations of distant galaxies to get insights into the cosmic dawn. Computational models also help understand galaxy formation and evolution.
“People thought this couldn’t be done from the ground. Astronomy is a technology-limited field, and microwave signals from the Cosmic Dawn are famously difficult to measure,” team leader and Johns Hopkins professor of physics and astronomy, Tobias Marriage, said in a statement.
“Ground-based observations face additional challenges compared to space. Overcoming those obstacles makes this measurement a significant achievement,” Marriage added.
Cosmic dawn insights shed light on the universe’s early stages, providing an understanding of the universe’s origins.
The scientists were able to get a new glimpse of Cosmic Dawn using the Cosmology Large Angular Scale Surveyor (CLASS), which is an array of telescopes located high in the Atacama Desert region of Northern Chile.
The main objective of CLASS is to observe the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), which is a cosmic fossil left over from an event just after the Big Bang.
The changes in the atmosphere, weather and temperature can distort the light, broadcast radio waves, radar, and satellites can access their signal on Earth.
The light from Cosmic Dawn is extremely faint as the wavelength is in millimetres, which is obvious as it has travelled to us for 13 billion years and more. The signal from polarised microwave light is about a million times fainter.
Polarisation means the orientation of oscillations or vibrations in a wave, such as light or electromagnetic waves. This can happen when light hits an object and scatters off it.
“When light hits the hood of your car and you see a glare, that’s polarization. To see clearly, you can put on polarized glasses to take away glare,” said team member Yunyang Li, who was a PhD student at Johns Hopkins.
“Using the new common signal, we can determine how much of what we’re seeing is cosmic glare from light bouncing off the hood of the Cosmic Dawn, so to speak,” added Yunyang, who was a fellow at the University of Chicago while this research was being conducte
In order to deal with this risk, India is exploring various options such as importing fully assembled motors from China.
Rare-earth magnet inventories are likely to ‘taper off’ by mid-July 2025 for the automobile industry, weighed down by the export restrictions from China and ensuing shipment delays, according to a release by rating agency ICRA.
“With China tightening export controls and delaying shipment clearances, rare earth magnet inventories are projected to last only until mid-July 2025 for several, if not all, passenger vehicle and two-wheeler applications,” Jitin Makkar, Senior Vice President and Group Head – Corporate Ratings, ICRA Limited.
The Industry is looking for contingency options and alternative supply chains, but it is riddled with difficulties.
“While the automobile industry is exploring a range of contingency options, each of these appears ridden with logistical, regulatory, and engineering complexities, exacerbating the prevailing uncertainty,” the rating agency said.
“India imported around USD 200 million worth of these magnets for both automotive and non-automotive applications, with approximately 85% of this sourced from China. While the trade value may appear modest, the strategic dependence it reflects is anything but the supply uncertainty has cast a shadow on production planning. The dependence on China for these specialised materials could upend the automobile sector, particularly the fast-growing electric vehicle segment, if the concern remains unresolved.” Makkar added.
In order to deal with this risk, India is exploring various options such as importing fully assembled motors from China, or shipping the rotors, on which the rare earth magnets are mounted, to China for magnet assembly and then re-importing the assembled rotors.
Additionally, substituting rare earth magnets with alternatively engineered materials or introducing rare earth magnet-free motors could also be seen as alternative options.
However, a Maruti Suzuki spokesperson on Thursday said, “Regarding the situation on rare earth, as of now, there is no disruption in our operation due to this issue. There is a lot of uncertainty and the situation is continuously evolving.”
Maruti Suzuki added, “We are monitoring the situation and pursuing multiple solutions to ensure continuity in our operations. If and when there is any material impact to our business, we will inform all stakeholders in line with regulatory requirements.”
Sunjay Kapur captioned the post, “Progress demands bold choices, not perfect conditions”
Karisma Kapoor’s ex-husband Sunjay Kapur died after suffering a heart attack during a polo match in England on June 12. Hours before his sudden death the businessman shared a condolence message for the Air India plane crash victims on his X handle. A couple of days ago, Sunjay also shared a post which read, “Your time on earth is limited”. The X posts went viral after his death.
What’s Happening
Sunjay Kapur’s last few X posts went viral after his death.
Sunjay Kapur died after suffering a heart attack on June 12.
On June 9, Sunjay Kapur shared a philosophical post which he captioned, “Progress demands bold choices, not perfect conditions.” He added the hashtag #MondayMotivation to his post.
The post read, “Your time on Earth is limited. Leave the “what ifs” to the philosophers and instead dive headfirst into the “why nots.”
On June 12, Sunjay Kapur shared a post on X handle condoling the deaths of the Air India plane crash victims. It was his last post before death.
He wrote, “Terrible news of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected. May they find strength in this difficult hour. #planecrash
How Sunjay Kapur Died
According to sources close to him, Kapur was playing polo at the Guards Polo Club when he felt suffocated. He requested to stop the game and then left the ground. Thereafter, he suffered a heart attack and died.
The sources further said, Sunjay Kapur apparently swallowed a bee and the sting in his throat caused a heart attack. Sunjay was running a polo team – Aureus – of which he was the patron. He was playing against Sujan, which is a team run by Jaisal Singh, a hotelier.
In A Nutshell
Sunjay Kapur wore many hats. He’s a prominent Polo player and the chairman of Sona Comstar, a company dedicated to manufacturing parts for electric vehicles. His last few X posts, including a condolence message for the Air India plane crash victims, went viral after his death.
