In a potentially groundbreaking discovery, scientists utilizing the James Webb Space Telescope have obtained what they are calling the strongest indications to date of possible life beyond our solar system, detecting in the atmosphere of an alien planet the chemical signatures of gases that on Earth are exclusively produced by biological processes. The two gases – dimethyl sulfide, or DMS, and dimethyl disulfide, or DMDS – observed by Webb in the atmosphere of the planet designated K2-18 b are generated on Earth by living organisms, primarily microbial life such as marine phytoplankton – algae. This finding suggests the planet could…
Author: Raja Zahid Khanzada
A mineral called siderite, found abundantly in rock samples drilled by a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Nasa) rover on Mars, is providing compelling new evidence of the planet’s warmer and wetter ancient history, a time when it possessed significant bodies of water and potentially supported life. The Curiosity rover, which landed on Mars in 2012 with the mission to determine if Earth’s neighboring planet ever had the conditions suitable for microbial life, discovered the mineral in rock samples obtained from three different locations within Gale crater in 2022 and 2023. Gale crater is a large impact basin featuring a…
The Ministry of Privatisation announced on Thursday that the government will seek expressions of interest for the sale of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) next week, just days after the national flag carrier reported its first annual profit in over two decades. Authorities are aiming to sell a stake ranging from 51% to 100% in the debt-laden airline to generate funds and reform financially draining, state-owned enterprises, a key objective under a $7 billion International Monetary Fund programme. A previous attempt to privatise PIA last year only attracted a single offer, which was significantly below the asking price of over $300…
Elon Musk’s SpaceX, along with two partners, have emerged as the frontrunners to secure a crucial segment of President Donald Trump’s “Golden Dome” missile defense shield, according to six individuals with knowledge of the matter. Sources indicate that Musk’s rocket and satellite company is collaborating with software developer Palantir and drone manufacturer Anduril to bid on constructing key components of Golden Dome, a project that has garnered significant interest from the burgeoning defense startup sector within the technology industry. In his executive order issued on January 27th, Trump identified missile attacks as “the most catastrophic threat facing the United States.”…
Pakistan has agreed to the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) requirements to update its project selection process and increase the weighting criteria for climate change considerations by August of the coming year, alongside a carbon fee slated for announcement in the upcoming budget, The News reported. Pakistan has conceded to the IMF’s demand that all new infrastructure projects exceeding a cost of Rs7.5 billion must have their Planning Commission (PC-1) documentation made publicly available on the PC website. Top official sources indicated that the government will enhance its project appraisals and climate screening assessments to prioritise infrastructure with the greatest impact. The official…
Pakistan received a net inflow of $1.644 billion in foreign direct investment during the initial nine months of the current fiscal year, marking a 14% increase compared to the corresponding period last year, as reported by The News on Friday, citing data from the central bank. However, there was a notable month-on-month (MoM) decrease in FDI. In March, the nation recorded a net FDI inflow of $25.7 million, a significant drop from the $294.2 million recorded in the same month of the previous year. Data from the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) reveals that a significant portion of direct investments originated from…
The National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) held an intense public hearing on Thursday concerning K-Electric’s (KE) request for an additional Rs8.13 billion in write-offs, a component of a larger Rs76 billion claim for recovery-related losses incurred between 2017 and 2023. Presiding over the session, as reported by The News, Nepra’s chairman spearheaded discussions, rigorously questioning KE’s justification for the write-offs and the clarity of its auditing procedures. KE CEO Moonis Alvi underscored the company’s adherence to “all regulatory requirements,” stating that the new request adds Rs8 billion to the previously submitted Rs67 billion. During the hearing, he also defended the…
Meghan Markle has reportedly made a move to mend fences with the Royal Family through her newly launched lifestyle brand. The Duchess of Sussex, whose first batch of products under the label ‘As Ever’ quickly sold out, also sent samples of her offerings to her estranged in-laws in the UK. Royal expert Neil Sean, speaking with Fox News, quoted a source saying, “A sample box of delights has been delivered to Clarence House with a note.” “I understand how she may still feel a lack of respect, but these small gestures are her way of showing compassion for what the…
Kesha is opening up to her fans about a previously unknown chapter of her personal life. The pop star recently shared details about her former fiancé during an episode of SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up. The 38-year-old “Tik Tok” hitmaker explained that her own songs played a crucial role in her decision to end the engagement, revealing that the songwriting process brought her clarity. “Basically, I find that writing songs leads me to my truth,” she began in the interview. Without revealing the identity of her former fiancé, the award-winning singer disclosed, “I was engaged and I didn’t wanna be…
The monarch’s message drew criticism from Dr. Gavin Ashenden, the late Queen’s former Chaplain, who deemed it “disrespectful.” In his message, King Charles spoke about Jesus’ love and connected it to values found in Judaism, Islam, and other religions. Speaking on GB News, Ashenden called the message “disrespectful” and argued that it created “more trouble than help.” “It would be nice if we could say ‘how wonderful’ and welcome it with generosity, but the trouble is, it causes more trouble than it helps,” he said. “The fact is that it’s offensive, partly to Jews and also to Christians, because this…
