Assigned Ax-4 Mission pilot Shubhanshu Shukla (extreme left) with mission specialists Slawosz Uznanski and Tibor Kapu (right) during a training for the ISS mission, at the European Astronaut Centre recently. Credit: Axiom Space.
NEW DELHI: In a step towards unfurling India’s tricolour at the biggest space station, Indian astronaut-candidate Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to pilot the Axiom-4 (Ax-4) mission to the International Space Station in spring 2025, which will make him the first Indian to enter the ISS. The Ax-4 mission will see Group Capt Shukla and his team spend up to 14 days aboard the ISS, which is circling Earth at 400 km altitude, conducting scientific research and experiments in microgravity. The Indian astronaut-candidate is expected to perform five experiments during his stay, contributing valuable data that will help plan future space missions, including India’s maiden human spaceflight mission ‘Gaganyaan’. The Ax-4 mission is a significant collaboration between India and the US, announced by PM Narendra Modi during his visit to the US last year. Isro has partnered with Axiom Space, an American company specialising in human spaceflight, to facilitate this space project. Director of international government business at Axiom Space, Pearly Pandya, who is an Indian-American and was born in Ahmedabad, informed the media in Delhi recently that Shukla and his backup, Group Captain Prashanth Nair, are being trained to operate payloads and conduct scientific research in microgravity. She also said the company will use Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s Falcon-9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule in the ISS mission. The ISS project is an end-to-end commercial mission for Axiom, which will take care of astronaut training, medical operations, and help conduct space experiments, she added. Till now, Shukla and Nair have undergone extensive training with international partners, including Nasa, European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). Recently, they completed rigorous training at ESA’s European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany, where they learnt about communications systems and emergency response procedures within the ISS’s multinational environment. The crew also travelled to JAXA’s Tsukuba Space Center in Japan to gain knowledge about the Japanese Experiment Module (Kibo). The training is crucial for ensuring that astronauts can effectively operate within the diverse and complex systems of the ISS. ISS is maintained in low earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies, including Nasa, Roscosmos (Russia), ESA, JAXA, and CSA (Canada).
“Get in the car!” – BBC team cuts short filming as a polar bear is spotted nearby
“Can I give you some polar bear advice?” asks Tee, a confident 13-year-old we meet during a visit to Churchill’s high school.
“If there’s a bear this close to you,” she says as she measures a distance of about 30cm with her hands. “Make a fist and punch it in the nose.
“Polar bears have very sensitive noses – it’ll just run away.”
Tee has not had to put this advice to the test. But growing up here – alongside the planet’s largest land predator – means bear safety is part of everyday life.
Victoria Gill/BBC
Signs – in shops and cafes – remind anyone heading outside to be “bear aware”. My favourite reads: “If a polar bear attacks you mustfight back.”
Running away from a charging polar bear is – perhaps counterintuitively – dangerous. A bear’s instinct is to chase prey and polar bears can run at 25mph (40kmph).
Key advice: Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings. Don’t walk alone at night.
Victoria Gill/BBC
Many murals in Churchill depict Arctic wildlife, particularly polar bears
Churchill is known as the polar bear capital of the world. Every year, the Hudson Bay – on the western edge of which the town is perched – thaws, and forces the bears on shore. As the freeze sets in in Autumn, hundreds of bears gather here, waiting.
“We have freshwater rivers flowing into the area and cold water coming in from the Arctic,” explains Alyssa McCall from Polar Bears International (PBI). “So freeze-up happens here first.
“For polar bears, sea ice is a big dinner plate – it’s access to their main prey, seals. They’re probably excited for a big meal of seal blubber – they haven’t been eating much all summer on land.”
Victoria Gill/BBC
The polar bear population decline in the Western Hudson Bay has been linked to warming temperatures
There are 20 known sub-populations of polar bears across the Arctic. This is one of the most southerly and best studied.
“They’re our fat, white, hairy canaries in the coal mine,” Alyssa explains. “We had about 1,200 polar bears here in the 1980s and we’ve lost almost half of them.”
The decline is tied to the amount of time the bay is now ice-free, a period that is getting longer as the climate warms. No sea ice means no frozen seal-hunting platform.
“Bears here are now on land about a month longer than their grandparents were,” explains Alyssa. “That puts pressure on mothers. [With less food] it’s harder to stay pregnant and to sustain those babies.”
While their long-term survival is precarious, the bears draw conservation scientists and thousands of tourists to Churchill every year.
We tag along with a group from PBI to search for bears on the sub-Arctic tundra – just a few miles from town. The team travels in a tundra buggy, a type of off-road bus with huge tyres.
Kevin Church/BBC
Tourists and scientists use tundra buggies to view and monitor the bears safely
After a few distant sightings, we have a heart-stopping close encounter. A young bear approaches and investigates our slow two-buggy convoy. He sidles up, sniffs one of the vehicles, then jumps up and plants two giant paws up on the side of the buggy.
The bear casually slumps back down onto all fours, then looks up and gazes at me briefly. It is deeply confusing to look into the face of an animal that is simultaneously adorable and potentially deadly.
“You could see him sniffing and even licking the vehicle – using all his senses to investigate,” says PBI’s Geoff York, who has worked in the Arctic for more than three decades.
Kevin Church/BBC
Being here in ‘bear season’ means Geoff and his colleagues can test new technologies to detect bears and protect people. The PBI team is currently fine-tuning a radar-based system dubbed ‘bear-dar’.
The experimental rig – a tall antenna with detectors scanning 360 degrees – is installed on the roof of a lodge in the middle of the tundra, near Churchill.
“It has artificial intelligence, so here we can basically teach it what a polar bear is,” Geoff explains. “This works 24/7, it can see at night and in poor visibility.”
Kevin Church/BBC
Polar Bears International scientists Flavio Lehner (left) and Geoff York with BBC science correspondent Victoria Gill on board the tundra buggy
Annie Edwards
The polar bear alert team keep watch over trick-or-treaters at Halloween
Protecting the community is the task of the polar bear alert team – trained rangers who patrol Churchill every day.
We ride along with ranger Ian Van Nest, who is looking for a stubborn bear that he and his colleagues tried to chase away earlier that day. “It turned around and came back [towards] Churchill. He doesn’t seem interested in going away.”
For bears that are intent on hanging around town, the team can use a live trap: A tube-shaped container, baited with seal meat, with a door that the bear triggers when it climbs inside.
“Then we put them in the holding facility,” Ian explains. Bears are held for 30 days, a period set to teach a bear that it is a negative thing to come to town looking for food, but that doesn’t put the animal’s health at risk.
They are then moved – either on the back of a trailer or occasionally air-lifted by helicopter – and released further along the bay, away from people.
Victoria Gill/BBC
Sergeant Ian Van Nest from Churchill’s Polar Bear Alert Program
Cyril Fredlund, who works at Churchill’s new scientific observatory, remembers the last time a person was killed by a polar bear in Churchill, in 1983.
“It was right in town,” he says. “The man was homeless and was in an abandoned building at night. There was a young bear in there too – it took him down with its paw, like he was a seal.”
People came to help, Cyril recalls, but they couldn’t get the bear away from the man. “It was like it was guarding its meal.”
Victoria Gill/BBC
The polar bear holding facility in Churchill, Manitoba
The polar bear alert program was set up around that time. No-one has been killed by a polar bear here since.
Cyril is now a technician at the new Churchill Marine Observatory (CMO). Part of its remit is to understand exactly how this environment will respond to climate change.
Under its retractable roof are two giant pools filled with water pumped in directly from the Hudson Bay.
Victoria Gill/BBC
The new Churchill Marine Observatory is studying water from the Hudson Bay in two experimental pools
“We can do all kinds of controlled experimental studies looking into changes in the Arctic,” says Prof Feiyue Wang.
One implication of a less icy Hudson Bay is a longer operating season for the port, which is currently closed for nine months of the year. A longer season during which the bay thaws and becomes open water could mean more ships coming in and out of Churchill.
Studies at the observatory are setting out to improve the accuracy of the sea ice forecast. Research will also examine the risks associated with expanding the port. One of the first investigations is an experimental oil spill. Scientists plan to release oil into one of the pools, test clean-up techniques and measure how quickly the oil degrades in the cold water.
For Churchill’s mayor, Mike Spence, understanding how to plan for the future, particularly when it comes to shipping goods in and out of Churchill, is vital for the town’s future in a warming world.
“We’re already looking into extending the season,” he says, gesturing towards the port, which has ceased operating for the winter. “In ten years’ time, this will be bustling.”
Victoria Gill/BBC
Churchill’s port is currently closed down for nine months of the year when the ice sets in
Climate change poses a challenge for the polar bear capital of the world, but the mayor is optimistic. “We have a great town,” he says, “a wonderful community. And the summer season – [when people come to see the Beluga whales in the bay] – is growing.”
“We’re all being challenged by climate change,” he adds. “Does that mean you stop existing? No – you adapt. You work out how to take advantage of it.”
While Mike Spence says “the future is bright” for Churchill, it might not be so bright for the polar bears.
Tee and her friends look out over the bay, from a window at the back of the school building. The polar bear alert team’s vehicles are gathering outside, trying to move a bear away from town.
“If climate change continues,” muses Tee’s classmate Charlie, “the polar bears might just stop coming here.”
The teacher approaches to make sure the children have someone coming to pick them up – that they’re not walking home alone. All part of the daily routine in the polar bear capital of the world.
Kate Stephens/BBC
Children at Churchill School look out over the Hudson Bay and spot a polar bear being moved
Manchester City and Liverpool look set to battle it out for Fulham defender Antonee Robinson, while São Paulo have been linked with a move for Argentina international Paulo Dybala. Join us for the latest transfer news, rumors, and gossip from around the globe. Join us for the latest transfer news, gossip and rumors from around the globe.
– Multiple Premier League clubs could be set to battle for the signature of Fulham left-back Antonee Robinson, according to Marca. Both Liverpool and Manchester City are believed to be keen on the 27-year-old, who continued his impressive form with two assists in the Cottagers’ 2-2 draw against the Reds at Anfield on Sunday. Manchester United and Chelsea are also reportedly interested in the United States star, but with a contract that extends until the summer of 2028, manager Marco Silva is hopeful of keeping Robinson at the club.
– An enquiry has been made by Sao Paulo regarding a move for AS Roma forward Paulo Dybala, reports ESPN Brazil. Dybala has been linked with a move away from the Stadio Olimpico of late, with Galatasaray reported to be in talks with the Argentina international. It is believed that the Turkish Super Lig giants are the favorites to sign Dybala with Sao Paulo not confident of being able to meet the 31-year-old’s salary demands.
– Despite interest from Flamengo — as reported by UOL — Tottenham Hotspur have no plans to part ways with striker Richarlison, says ESPN Brazil. The Mengão are reported to have been alongside Palmeiras and Fluminense in the queue for the 27-year-old’s signature, but it is believed that he would only consider leaving north London if his playing time was further reduced at Spurs. Richarlison has made just seven appearances this season having struggled with injury problems.
– Talks are being prepared between Internazionale and the representatives of wing-back Federico Dimarco over a new contract, writes Nicolo Schira. The Nerazzurri are said to be “ready” to begin talks to sign the 27-year-old to an extension at the San Siro, following a standout performance that saw him register a goal and an assist in the 6-0Serie A win over Lazio on Monday. Dimarco’s current deal isn’t set to expire until the summer of 2027, but it looks as though he is in line to be rewarded for his impressive form this season.
NEW DELHI: Amid its focus on health and term insurance, the GST Council, which will meet on Saturday, is expected to clarify that a 5% levy on delivery charges by apps such as Zomato and Swiggy will apply retrospectively from 2022, and also state that tax has to be paid by builders on charges paid for ‘floor space index’, including additional FSI, to local authorities. The fitment committee, comprising top officers, has backed the two moves with the proposal on food delivery apps likely to create a liability as it will not be possible for the players to collect taxes on past transactions. GST Council may back tax cut on gene-modified cell therapy Although the proposal is to impose 5% GST without input tax credit on food delivery apps, going forward, it will not result in a significant burden on consumers as the delivery charges are a fraction of the cost of orders. The move has been necessitated by a tax demand of around Rs 750 crore on delivery apps, where GST authorities have taken a view that 18% levy should be imposed. The council led by Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, which will meet in Jaisalmer, is expected to provide major relief by backing a reduction in tax on gene-modified cell therapy, being developed for treatment of advanced blood cancer cases, from 12% to nil. It will also provide some clarity on ready-to-eat popcorn with those mixed with salt and spices should attract 5% tax, while those with sugar should face 18% GST. Further, the panel of officers has rejected the plea to reduce the tax on components of electric vehicles (EVs) from 18% and 28% to 5% and may clarify that no GST is payable on penal charges levied by banks and finance companies, which are regulated by the RBI. The committee has concluded that local authorities provide services such as the grant of FSI or additional FSI to businesses in return for consideration, which attracts 18% GST, and there is no justification for an exemption as input tax credit is available. Besides, these services are seen to be commercial in nature and help builders further their business.
The Iranian flag waves in front of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, before the beginning of a board of governors meeting, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Vienna, Austria, March 1, 2021. — Reuters
European powers see no civilian purpose for Iran’s nuclear actions.
Ask Iran to ‘reverse its nuclear escalation’ ahead of UNSC meeting.
Iran says it has the right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
UNITED NATIONS: Raising fresh concerns over Tehran’s nuclear intentions, Britain, France, and Germany have accused Iran of stockpiling highly enriched uranium at “unprecedented levels,” saying there is no “credible civilian justification” for its actions.
The three countries known as the E3 said in a statement ahead of a UN Security Council meeting on Tehran’s nuclear programme that Iran must “reverse its nuclear escalation.”
Iran has increased its manufacturing of enriched uranium such that it is the only non-nuclear weapons state to possess uranium enriched to 60 percent, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear watchdog said.
That level is well on the way to the 90 percent required for an atomic bomb.
“Iran’s stockpile of High Enriched Uranium has also reached unprecedented levels, again without any credible civilian justification. It gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons,” the trio said in the statement.
“Iran has ramped up its installation of advanced centrifuges, which is yet another damaging step in Iran’s efforts to undermine the nuclear deal that they claim to support.”
Last week Berlin, London and Paris raised the prospect of using a mechanism in a landmark 2015 deal on Iran’s nuclear programme that allows signatories to reimpose sanctions which had been eased.
That deal with Tehran traded sanctions relief for limits on its nuclear programme.
It was signed by Iran on one side and France, Germany, Britain, China, Russia and the United States on the other.
But in 2018, then-US president Donald Trump pulled the United States out of the agreement and reimposed US sanctions against Iran.
Iran has retaliated by escalating its production of uranium enriched to 60 percent.
One Western diplomat described Iran as “pretty weakened” by the collapse of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s regime, suggesting that might push Tehran to seek a nuclear weapon to strengthen its hand.
“(But) if Iran is weakened they may be more inclined to have talks,” they said.
Iran says it has the right to nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and has consistently denied any ambition of developing weapons capability.
Natalie Rupnow was identified as the shooter who opened fire inside a study hall inside Abundant Life Christian School, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said. Responding officers found Rupnow with a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She died on the way to a hospital.
During a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Barnes said “identifying a motive is our top priority.” He said the motive appears to be a combination of factors, but he did not elaborate any further.
Police were speaking with Rupnow’s father and other family members, who were cooperating, and searching Rupnow’s home, Barnes said. He declined to offer additional details about the shooter, partly out of respect for the family.
Police said a 15-year-old shooter is dead after killing a teacher and student, and wounding six others, inside Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday.(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
“He lost someone as well,” Barnes said of Rupnow’s father. “And so we’re not going to rush the information. We’ll take our time and make sure we do our due diligence.”
Rupnow used a handgun in the shooting, according to Barnes.
“I don’t know why, and I feel like if we did know why, we could stop these things from happening,” he told reporters.
Students walk to a bus as they leave the shelter following a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
The teacher and student that were killed in the shooting have not yet been identified.
Barnes said that of the six wounded in the shooting, two were students and remain in critical condition. A teacher and three students were also hospitalized with less serious injuries, and two of them were later released.
Barnes said he did not believe that the school, which serves 200 students, according to the school’s website, had a resource officer. It was also revealed that the school did not have metal detectors, but did have cameras and other security protocols.
Barnes also clarified that the initial 911 call reporting the shooting was made by a second grade teacher at the school. On Monday, he mistakenly said the call had come from a second grade student.
Emergency vehicles are seen parked outside of the health clinic where parents were reunified with children after a shooting at the Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday, Dec. 16, 2024.(AP Photo/Scott Bauer)
James and Rebekah Smith, whose 17-year-old daughter is a student at the Abundant Life Christian School, told Fox News that they know all the victims and their families.
The Smiths’ said their daughter wasn’t in the same class as Rupnow, the alleged shooter, or knew her well, but said that Rupnow was new to the school and had enrolled sometime during the current semester.
They added that their daughter and her group of friends said they never saw Rupnow speaking to anyone at school.
The couple also said that the student who was killed was a freshman girl who they’ve known since she was a toddler.
“She gave great hugs. She was an amazing pianist. She loved to read. She was just an amazing young girl,” Rebekah Smith said.
Rebekah Smith said that the teacher who was killed had a daughter who was in sports with the Smith’s daughter, and they talked with the mom at the games all the time.
She added that the victim had been a long-term substitute teacher at the school and just became a full-time teacher this year.
President Biden spoke with Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers and Madison Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway following the shooting, and issued a separate statement calling the event “shocking and unconscionable.”
“We can never accept senseless violence that traumatizes children, their families, and tears entire communities apart,” Biden said.
The Pitch Perfect star is set to join Scream 7, the highly anticipated installment of the iconic horror franchise, according to Deadline.
Character details for Camp’s role remain under wraps, as is the case with other new cast members; Celeste O’Connor, Asa Germann, Mckenna Grace, and Sam Rechner.
Neve Campbell is officially returning as Sidney Prescott, while Mason Gooding reprises his role as survivor Chad Meeks-Martin. Isabel May has also been announced to play Sidney’s daughter in the upcoming film.
Although the plot is still a mystery, Scream 7 is scheduled for a global theatrical release on February 27, 2026.
The franchise continues to thrive following the success of Scream VI, which earned a franchise-best domestic box office gross of $108 million in March 2023.
Overall, the Scream series has raked in more than $900 million worldwide.
Camp, widely recognized for her role in the Pitch Perfect films, currently stars alongside Bruce Campbell in Peacock’s Hysteria!, a series exploring satanic panic.
Her additional credits include The Help, Jerry and Marge Go Large, and TV hits like True Blood, The Good Wife, The Mindy Project, and Good Girls Revolt.
With a mix of returning stars and new faces, Scream 7 looks to continue the success of the beloved slasher franchise.
The White Lotus season 3 drops trailer with Natasha Rothwell’s return
The White Lotus is back with a new tropical destination and a familiar face.
The trailer for season 3 of Mike White’s acclaimed vacation dramedy introduces a fresh group of travelers exploring Thailand. The new season premieres on Feb. 16.
Natasha Rothwell returns as Belinda Lindsey, the spa manager she played in Season 1, marking her as the sole returning cast member.
In previous seasons, Jennifer Coolidge was the only recurring character, reprising her role in Sicily during Season 2.
Coolidge’s performances earned her two Emmy Awards.
Season 3 boasts a star-studded ensemble, including Parker Posey, Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Michelle Monaghan, Leslie Bibb, Dom Hetrakul, Tayme Thapthimthong, Christian Friedel, Julian Kostov, Morgana O’Reilly, Lek Patravadi, Shalini Peiris, Carrie Coon, Scott Glenn, Francesca Corney, Nicholas Duvernay, Arnas Fedaravičius, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Aimee Lou Wood, Sarah Catherine Hook, Sam Nivola, and Blackpink’s Lisa.
The critically acclaimed series has won 15 Emmy Awards across its first two seasons, including Outstanding Limited Series for Season 1.
With its continued success and the inclusion of recurring characters like Coolidge, The White Lotus has since moved into the drama categories.
John Mulaney has got his kid following in his footsteps.
While speaking with People at the opening of his new Broadway show, ALL IN: Comedy About Love, in New York City on Monday, Dec. 16, Mulaney, 42, shared how he’s balancing rehearsals with fatherhood.
The comedian is dad to son Malcolm, 3, and daughter Méi, 3 months, with his wife, Olivia Munn.
“My son’s been coming to a lot of rehearsals, so he’s heard The Bengsons and our amazing band warm up a lot and he really enjoys that,” Mulaney told People.
“He brought a ukulele yesterday.”
Mulaney proudly added, “He played along with the band. So he’s been here a lot. He loves the theater. He was standing on stage for a while and then said, ‘I love stage.’”
The comedian also previously opened up to the outlet in November at the GQ “Man of the Year” party about how Malcolm is adjusting to life as a big brother following Méi’s arrival on Sept. 14.
“He’s doing good. He likes it,” Mulaney shared. “It’s interesting, with our daughter, she’s two months old so she doesn’t do much.”
Mulaney continued with a laugh, “I think the first couple of weeks he thought she might be a toy because she’d squeak, and he’d be like, ‘How do I make it do that again?’ Now I think he gets it, that this is a little girl, yeah.”
