kargil war:iaf recreates tiger hill attack in gwalior As part of the commemorative event ‘Operation Vijay’

As part of the commemorative event ‘Operation Vijay’ at Gwalior, several activities have been planned. There will be symbolic recreation of the Tiger Hill attack that took place during the Kargil War in 1999. And, there would be a static display of Mirage-2000 and other aerial assets used during the war," a senior IAF official had said on Sunday.The event was attended by several gallantry award winners, both serving and retired, who had participated in ‘Operation Vijay’.The chief guest for the event is Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa. The IAF has planned several activities at the air base to commemorate the 20 years of the war and the symbolic recreation of the Tiger Hill attack was one of them. Five Mirage 2000, two MiG 21s and one Sukoi 30 MKI were on static display at the base.

One of the Mirage 2000 aircraft showcased the Spice bomb carrier. The bomb was used in the Balakot airstrike in February. The aircraft is undergoing upgrade which will extend its life by another 20 years, said Air Marshal Rajesh Kumar, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Central Air Command (CAC) of the IAF. Three squadrons of Mirage are based at the Gwalior Air Force Station. "The Kargil conflict offers an exemplary experience in the use of air power in warfare in high mountains conditions and is key to full understanding of India's emerging posture," a senior IAF official said.

Low trust in vaccines global crisis

The biggest global study into attitudes on immunisation suggests confidence is low in some regions. Experts warn Public mistrust of vaccines means the world is taking a step backwards in the fight against deadly yet preventable infectious diseases.The World Health Organization (WHO) lists vaccine hesitancy as one of the top 10 threats to global health. Medical Scientists said it's a numbers game... if some people are not vaccinated, it can cause a big problem for us all. The first Welcome Global Monitor survey, which canvassed attitudes among 1,40,000 people worldwide, shows clear links between people’s trust in doctors, nurses and scientists and their confidence in vaccines. It also shows that mistrust in government institutions goes hand in hand with doubts about vaccines’ safety. Only 59% of people in western Europe agree that vaccines are safe, while 95% of people in south Asia agree compared with 79% worldwide.Larson said social media had become an amplifier of doubt. “Social media is highly volatile. It has totally changed the landscape.” She said it was hard for scientists to combat the spread of misinformation because often it was not public. Much of it had shifted into private Facebook groups and other similarly inaccessible forums.Bangladesh and Rwanda have the highest confidence in vaccines in the world, the Global Monitor shows. Rwanda also has the highest trust in its healthcare, at 97%, against a global average of 76%.“In developing countries, where deadly diseases like diphtheria, measles or whooping cough are more common, I’ve seen mothers queue for hours to make sure their child is vaccinated,” said Seth Berkley, the chief executive of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.The Global Monitor found mixed feelings about science around the world. Half the world’s population said they knew little about science and 20% said they felt excluded from its benefits. Fifty-five per cent of people in France said they believed science and technology would lead to job losses in their area, as did 37% of people in the UK.

Argentina, Uruguay restore power after massive blackout

A massive power outage plunged tens of millions of people in Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Paraguay into the dark on Sunday, in what government officials called an "extraordinary" and unprecedented blackout, the cause of which is not yet known.The blackout struck at 7:07am local time (10:07 GMT), triggered by what Argentine government officials called a failure in a coastal grid that serves a number of countries, and a "total disconnection".Authorities were working frantically to restore power, but by mid-afternoon nearly half of Argentina’s 44 million people were still in the dark.Voters cast ballots by the light of cell phones in gubernatorial elections in Argentina. Public transportation halted, shops closed and patients dependent on home medical equipment were urged to go to hospitals with generators.“I was just on my way to eat with a friend, but we had to cancel everything. There’s no subway, nothing is working,” said Lucas Acosta, a 24-year-old Buenos Aires resident. “What’s worse, today is Father’s Day. I’ve just talked to a neighbor and he told me his sons won’t be able to meet him.”By mid-afternoon, power had been restored to most of Uruguay’s 3 million people. But in Argentina, only 56% of the nation’s grid was back up and running as of 3:30 p.m. local time, Energy Minister Gustavo Lopetegui told a news conference.The government is not ruling anything out, including a cyberattack, although Lopetegui said it is not among the primary potential causes being considered.Carlos Garcia Pereira, head of Transener, Argentina's largest power-transmission operator, said the failure in the system could be caused by something as simple as humidity during a day of heavy rainfall.Lopetegui stressed that Argentina's power system is "very robust" and is generating more than it requires.An investigation is under way to determine who is responsible, and if sanctions are necessary.

5G technology jeopardises forecasting

5G signal could jam satellites that help with weather forecasting i.e. is the stark warning of meteorologists around the world, who say the next-generation wireless system now being rolled out across the globe is likely to disrupt the delicate satellite instruments they use to monitor changes in the atmosphere.The result will be impaired forecasts, poorer warnings about major storms, and loss of life, they say.“The way 5G is being introduced could seriously compromise our ability to forecast major storms,” said Tony McNally of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in Reading. “In the end it could make the difference between life and death. We are very concerned about this.”The crisis facing the world’s meteorologists stems from the fact that the radio frequencies the new 5G networks will use could contaminate critical Earth observations made by weather satellites. One example is the 23.8 gigahertz (GHz) frequency. Water vapour emits a faint signal at this specific natural wavelength, and this data is monitored and measured by weather satellites. Forecasters then use this information to work out how a storm or weather system is likely to develop.Instruments on board the satellites peer down into the atmosphere and study variables such as water vapour, rain, snow, cloud cover and ice content – all crucial factors that influence our weather.The urgency of the problem is underlined by the fact that US Federal Communications Commission and similar agencies in other countries have already started to auction off frequencies close to the 23.8 GHz frequency to future 5G network providers. In addition, other bands that are used to probe our weather include the 36-37 GHz band, which is used to study rain and snow; the 50 GHz band, which is used to measure atmospheric temperature; and the 86-92 Ghz band, which helps to analyse cloud and ice.They accuse phone operators of ransacking the radio spectrum for wavelengths to exploit, and regulators of failing to protect the natural frequencies vital for Earth observation from space.

Social media has become unhealthy: Selena Gomez

Selena Gomez the 26-year-old singer finds social media "unhealthy". She used to spend much of her time engaging with her fans on social media, but has now said she's limited the time she spends on apps such as Twitter and Instagram, because they began to make her feel "depressed". She said during an appearance on 'Live! With Kelly and Ryan': "I have it on someone else's phone. And when I feel like I want to share something with my fans or just mess around with it, I do it then."The star's comments come after she said it was "impossible" to make social media a safe place whilst speaking at a press conference at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.Speaking about her decision to stop replying to comments, the 'Wolves' hitmaker said: "I used to a lot, but I think it's just become really unhealthy, I think, personally, for young people, including myself, to spend all of their time fixating on all these comments and letting this stuff in. It was affecting me. It would make me depressed. It would make me feel not good about myself and look at my body differently and all kinds of stuff."

Wreckage of AN 32 aircraft found in Arunachal

Afer huge search operations the Indian Air Force confirmed that the wreckage of  missing Indian Air Force (IAF) AN-32 was spotted Tuesday. 16 kms North of Lipo, North East of Tato at an approximate elevation of 12000 ft by the IAF Mi-17 helicopter undertaking search in the expanded search zone. The AN-32 is a twin-engine turboprop transport aircraft and the IAF currently operates a sizeable number of it. Here's everything you need to know.The aircraft carrying six officers, five airmen and two non-combatants (enrolled) took off from Jorhat, Assam at 12.27 hours for the Mechuka Advance Landing Ground in Arunachal Pradesh, where it was supposed to reach Mechuka at 13.30 hours. More than a week after the Indian Air Force’s An-32 with 13 people on board went missing near Arunachal Pradesh, the wreckage of the transport aircraft has been found. The IAF launched a massive operation to trace the missing aircraft but the search was badly hit by poor weather conditions. The assets deployed for the operation included Sukhoi-30 aircraft in addition to a fleet of C-130J and AN-32 planes and Mi-17 and ALH helicopters. The ground forces included troops from the Army, Indo Tibetan Border Police and state policeISRO's Cartosat and RISAT satellites were also used to take images of the area around Menchuka. IAF also stated that On Twitter efforts are underway to establish the status of occupants and establish survivors. “Further details will be communicated as the recovery actions progress,” IAF tweeted.

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger are married

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger got married yesterday at San Ysidro Ranch in Montecito, California. Defying reports earlier this year that the two were too busy to plan anything earlier than a winter wedding. A source confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that the two tied the knot with an intimate ceremony. "The couple wanted to keep it simple, but have the most important people in their lives there," the source said.People also confirmed the wedding with its own details. "The venue is beautiful. Lots of flowers and greenery everywhere. It’s a very romantic setting for a wedding,” a source told the outlet. "The whole family took wedding photos, including her parents Maria (Shriver) and Arnold (Schwarzenegger). Everyone just looked so happy.”After the ceremony, the group enjoyed cocktails on the lawn with a live band playing. They had a very healthy and "vibrant" menu, a source detailed to People. “They are using only local food. It’s a lot of fresh vegetables. They didn’t want the menu to be too heavy, or rich. It’s more of a light summer menu. For dessert, there are lighter options as well like raspberries, blue berries and red currant.” Paparazzi got some photos of them two with varying quality. You can see the clearest shot teasing Schwarzenegger's long white gown and its train here on Entertainment Tonight.Pratt made a speech thanking guests for joining them.

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Japan plans carbon emission cuts, more nuclear energy

Land of the rising sun nation Japan is calling for further efforts to cut carbon emissions by promoting renewables but also nuclear energy despite the 2011 Fukushima reactors meltdowns.The energy white paper, adopted by the Cabinet Friday, says Japan faces an “urgent task” of reducing carbon emissions coming from utilities that have relied heavily on fossil fuels to make up for shortages of cleaner nuclear energy. The call comes as the Fukushima nuclear reactors are slowly being restarted amid lingering anti-nuclear sentiments since the 2011 crisis.Japan wants further development of renewable energy and has set a 22% to 24% target while maintaining nuclear energy at around the same level. It also pledges to reduce carbon emissions by 26% from 2013 levels by 2030. So far it has so far achieved a 7% reduction.While the renewables account for 16% of Japan’s energy supply, nuclear energy remained at just 3% in 2017, compared to the target of 20% to 22%, according to the paper. Coal and natural gas accounted for 74%.Before the 2011 quake and tsunami that destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant’s cooling systems and sent three of its reactors into meltdowns, nuclear energy made up about one-third of Japan’s energy supply.Despite the government’s nuclear energy ambitions, reactor restarts are coming slowly as nuclear regulators spend more time on inspections under stricter post-Fukushima standards, while utility companies have opted to scrap aged reactors instead of investing in additional safety measures.The slow reactor resumptions have added to Japan’s large plutonium stockpile problem that has become an issue of international concern. Japan, which is stuck with 47 tons of plutonium stockpile from spent fuel, has resorted to burning it in conventional reactors to reduce the amount after the country’s fuel recycling program has stalled.But the amount is not decreasing, and experts are now calling for more drastic steps to get rid of it amid criticism that Japan’s plutonium makes Tokyo’s calls for nuclear non-proliferation less credible. About 37 tons of spent fuel is kept in France and Britain where it has been reprocessed since Japan lacks the capability to do it at home.

D-Day 75th anniversary commemorations

World leaders, including US President Donald Trump, have joined the Queen in Portsmouth to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings.The countries represented at the event have agreed to make a joint statement pledging to ensure the "unimaginable horror" of World War Two is not repeated.Theresa May is hosting 15 world leaders to honour the largest combined land, air and naval operation in history.Figures from every country that fought alongside the UK are attending.Coming to the end of a three-day state visit to the UK, Mr Trump said he was looking forward to marking what "may have been the greatest battle ever".

D-Day: The military term for the first day of the Normandy landings was the largest amphibious invasion ever undertaken and laid the foundations for the Allied defeat of Germany in World War II.It paved the way for Allied success on the Western Front in World War II, turning the tide of the war against the beleaguered Axis powers.The invasion took place on June 6, 1944, and saw of tens of thousands of troops from the United States, the UK, France, Australia and Canada landing on five stretches of the Normandy coastline codenamed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches.

trilateral meet US may sugest recognizing assad as Syrian president

The rare tripartite meeting is expected to deal mostly with Syria, specifically Iran’s efforts to entrench itself militarily near Israel’s borders, and the planned withdrawal of US troops from the war-torn country. Arabic newspaper quotes Western diplomats on proposal regarding Syrian leader at upcoming meeting in Jerusalem of US, Israeli, Russian national security advisers. The White House announced last week that the meeting between Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev as well as the US and Israeli national security advisers, John Bolton and Meir Ben-Shabbat, would be held in Jerusalem in June.The offer would be made in the framework of a road map for the peaceful settlement in Syria that Washington and its allies were going to propose at the meeting. Israel and the US will offer incentives to Russia later this month in a bid to curb Iran’s influence in Syria, which could include legitimizing the continued leadership of Syrian leader Bashar Assad, a London-based Arabic newspaper reported Sunday.The incentives will be raised at an unprecedented trilateral meeting of national security advisers scheduled for later this month in Jerusalem, according to a report in Asharq al-Awsat that quoted Western diplomats and was cited by Israel’s Kan public broadcaster. The report did not clarify what the other proposals could be.US National Security Adviser John Bolton, Israeli National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat and Russian Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev will meet in Jerusalem later this month, according to an announcement made by the White House on Wednesday, just minutes before the Knesset voted to disband and to set new elections for September 17.

China says trade war 'has not made America great again'

Washington's escalating trade war with Beijing has not "made America great again" and has instead damaged the American economy, China said Sunday (Jun 2), stressing that while it wants resolution through talks there will be no compromise on core principles.Beijing's broadside is the latest act in a bruising conflict between the world's top two economies that has spooked markets and sparked fears about the global economy. China said, stressing that while it wants resolution through talks it will not compromise on core principles.The Chinese white paper came just days after Beijing imposed retaliatory tariffs on US goods. Beijing on Friday said it would create a blacklist of "unreliable" foreign firms and individuals, marking a new escalation in the increasingly acrimonious trade dispute between the US and China.The move is seen as a response to the US government's recent decision to blacklist Chinese technology giant Huawei, denying it access to domestic markets and restricting US sales to the company, though a 90-day reprieve was issued.

South Korea urges restraint after North's missile test

South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo is fending off calls to step up pressure on North Korea after it test-fired missiles last month.Jeong told an annual security conference in Singapore Saturday that the tests are being investigated and a conclusion is within reach.North Korea itself has defended the launches, saying it was exercising its right to self-defense.Jeong was responding to a question on whether the tests were a violation of a military agreement between South and North Korea last September to halt acts of aggression against each other.He said the North was "in fact acting within the boundaries" of the agreement and tensions between their militaries "have been lowered to a significant extent."The U.S. and Japan say North Korea tested short-range ballistic missiles on May 4 and 9, ending a pause that began in late 2017. Both countries called it a violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.Jeong says Pyongyang has shown it intends to work toward peace and urged the international community to “assure North Korea that the decision to denuclearize is indeed the right decision.”Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya, who spoke at the same session on Korean security, stressed that a strict implementation of sanctions against North Korea was necessary.He specifically directed his comments at South Korea, China and Russia.