MOSCOW, July 6 (Xinhua) — Russia’s cargo spacecraft Progress MS-31 successfully docked with the International Space Station (ISS), Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos said Sunday on its website.
The automated docking took place at 00:25 Moscow time on Sunday (2125 GMT Saturday) at the Poisk mini-research module on the Russian segment of the ISS. The spacecraft is scheduled to remain in orbit for 167 days.
Launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on Thursday aboard a Soyuz-2.1a carrier rocket, the Progress MS-31 delivered a total of 2,625 kilograms of cargo to the ISS.
The shipment includes 1,205 kilograms of dry goods for the crew, 950 kilograms of propellant for station refueling, 420 kilograms of drinking water, and 50 kilograms of nitrogen to replenish the station’s atmosphere.
In addition, the spacecraft delivered scientific equipment which will be used for research in various fields of space science. ■
Chinese scientists have found out how the H5N1 virus initially invades the mammary glands of dairy cattle and may have triggered the outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza across over 1,000 dairy farms in the United States, according to a study recently published in the journal National Science Review.
The study, conducted by Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ Harbin Veterinary Research Institute in Heilongjiang province, found that cattle oral tissues support H5N1 virus binding and replication, and virus replicating in the mouth of cattle transmitted to the mammary glands of dairy cattle during sucking.
Chen Hualan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a chief scientist at the institute, along with her team, also confirmed that vaccination provides full protection against the virus in dairy cows. The study suggests that targeted control of milk-stealing behavior and immunization can effectively curb H5N1 outbreaks among cattle.
Highly pathogenic avian influenza subtype H5N1 is a major zoonotic disease. Since 2021, a new strain of the virus has caused tens of thousands of outbreaks among poultry and wild birds in multiple countries.
In March 2024, the virus began infecting dairy cows in the US, spreading across more than 1,070 farms in 17 states. The outbreaks resulted in a cow mortality rate of up to 10 percent and infected at least 41 farmworkers, raising concerns for global dairy production and public health.
Previously, researchers found that the H5N1 virus damages the mammary glands of cows and contaminates milk, with about a quarter of retail milk samples in the US having been detected with the virus. However, it remained unclear how the virus initially invaded the mammary glands, and no control measures were available. The recent findings provide insights into H5N1 virus transmission and control in cattle, Chen said.
In a dramatic turn of events, a space capsule carrying the ashes of over 160 people and a batch of cannabis seeds met a tragic end after plummeting into the Pacific Ocean during its return to Earth.
Launched on June 23 by The Exploration Company (TEC), a German aerospace startup, the Nyx capsule was on a mission dubbed “Mission Possible.” The flight marked a significant moment for many families who had partnered with Celestis — a Texas-based space burial firm — to send their loved ones’ remains on a symbolic journey beyond Earth.
Initially, all seemed to go well. The capsule completed two full orbits around the planet, offering a brief but poetic voyage through space. But just minutes before it was expected to splash down, communication with Nyx was suddenly lost.
Charles M. Chafer, co-founder and CEO of Celestis, confirmed the heartbreaking outcome on the company’s website:
“An anomaly occurred, and the vehicle was lost shortly after re-entry… The Nyx capsule impacted the Pacific Ocean and dispersed its contents at sea.”
The loss means the capsules carrying the cremated remains — and the experimental cannabis seeds from citizen science initiative Martian Grow — are unrecoverable.
TEC echoed the disappointment in a statement posted on LinkedIn, noting the capsule had launched successfully, stabilized post-separation, and even re-established communication after the expected blackout during re-entry. Still, contact was abruptly severed in the final moments before splashdown.
“To all our clients who entrusted us with their payloads, we offer our deepest apologies,” TEC wrote.
For Celestis, this was a first-of-its-kind mission — a return flight. Previous missions had taken ashes to space or deep space, but Nyx was designed to bring the capsule back to Earth. The endeavor carried both technical ambition and deep emotional significance.
Chafer acknowledged the weight of the loss:
“While there were many successful milestones — launch, orbit, and controlled reentry — this was our first attempt to return. No technical achievement can substitute the personal meaning this service holds.”
Despite the setback, both TEC and Celestis remain determined. TEC said it is already analyzing the anomaly to prepare for future missions, emphasizing that such risks are part of pushing boundaries in space innovation.
As for the families involved, Celestis is offering support and next steps, encouraging them to take solace in the knowledge that their loved ones became part of an extraordinary, if bittersweet, voyage — circling the Earth before coming to rest in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, much like a traditional sea scattering.
“We remain committed to serving with transparency, compassion, and care,” Chafer affirmed.
BEIJING – China is not merely becoming an innovation superpower of the world, but also scripting its own version of techno-industrial ascendancy. Despite the geopolitical crosswinds and a chorus of Western skepticism, Beijing has kept its eye firmly on the twin imperatives of innovation and sustainability. China’s experiment with innovation- driven development has started to yield quantifiable returns. The numbers are instructive: in 2024 alone, the country’s integrated circuit (IC) industry expanded by 22.2%, with exports of ICs surpassing 1.1 trillion yuan ($153 billion), an all-time high. In an era where semiconductors are as strategically valuable as oil once was, this marks not just economic success but geopolitical leverage.
Take the example of EVs. According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, China exported more than 1.2 million electric vehicles in the first five months of 2025 alone – a 20% year-on-year increase. Many of these are now hitting markets from Southeast Asia to Europe. The underlying technological capacity – battery efficiency, intelligent systems, and lightweight chassis – are no longer licensed or imported; they are largely homegrown. The State Council’s new report confirms this quiet revolution: China’s “modern industrial system,” as it calls it, is no longer aspirational. It’s operational.
But perhaps most remarkable is the balancing act being performed between economic expansion and environmental restraint. In 2024, China managed to reduce its energy consumption per unit of GDP by over 3%. That might seem incremental, but for the world’s secondlargest economy – and its largest emitter – it’s a signal that low-carbon development is no longer a peripheral concern. At the national level, coal dependency is being shaved off gradually, while renewable energy infrastructure – particularly in wind and solar – is scaling at breakneck speed. As of mid-2025, China accounts for more than 40% of global clean energy investments, according to the International Energy Agency.
China’s model is not pretending to be Silicon Valley. It is building something more systemic – where industrial strategy, academic research, and climate goals are braided together under the umbrella of national rejuvenation. For a country that was once the poster child of copycat manufacturing, this evolution is more than symbolic. China’s innovative development points to a diverse future: innovation is not a monopoly of the West, and sustainable development is not the preserve of the already developed. That, in itself, is a development worth applauding.
Shi’ite pilgrims gather ahead of Ashura in Kerbala, Iraq, September 19, 2018. — Reuters
It was a day of carnage with no precedents before or after the massacre in Karbala almost 1400 years ago, on the 10th day of ‘Muharram’ – the Islamic month. Imam Hussain (AS) and all other men accompanying him except one were brutally slaughtered, for their refusal to pledge allegiance to Yazid ibn Muawiya, the caliph at the time.
The women, children and a lone surviving adult male, Imam Zainul Abideen (AS), a son of Imam Hussain (AS) who was too frail to go in to battle, were all taken captive.
The brutality during and after that clash was so severe that its continuing remembrance after repeated attempts to distort the truth is nothing short of a miracle.
In the history of Islam, this serves an enduring lesson for Muslims struggling worldwide today. Its notable impact ranges from Gaza where more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel, to the struggle for independence in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir where thousands of Muslims have been killed.
Altogether, in Karbala there were at least 72 martyrs led by Imam Hussain (AS) in the worst killings ever witnessed on a single day. The victims ranged from the elderly to a six month old infant, Hazrat Ali Asghar (AS), the youngest child of Imam Hussain (AS).
Their bodies were mutilated and decapitated and their heads mounted on spears to be paraded alongside the prisoners of Karbala. The journey of the prisoners first took them to Kufa in Iraq and then to Damascus where Yazid ruled over his visibly powerful empire.
But the miraculous memory of events at Karbala frequently includes remembrance of the martyrs. In sharp contrast, Yazid and his followers are remembered with unending scorn.
The battle of Karbala which appeared to have been won by Yazid on that terrible day, lives on as a victory for Imam Hussain (AS) and his cause. In worldly terms, the odds were heavily stacked against Imam Hussain (AS).
His small group of loyalists who fought for his cause, were overwhelmed numerically by Yazid’s army swelling in to the many thousands. The odds against Imam Hussain (AS) and his followers were further amplified as they fought the battle after remaining deprived of water for three days in the scorching heat of Karbala.
It is an account which gets remembered day after day with the Israeli attacks on unarmed Palestinians in Gaza. The resolve of the Palestinians remains unbroken, in part inspired by the example drawn from Imam Hussain (AS).
But a number of events after the clash led to the eventual destruction of Yazid’s empire. His clan known as ‘Banu Ummaya’ eventually lost their ability to rebuild a similar empire. To this day, the rise and fall of ‘Banu Ummaya’ has left an enduring lesson for brutal empires for all times to come.
Historical accounts suggest that Yazid lived for less than years after the martyrdom of Imam Hussain (AS) and his followers. Throughout this period, Yazid first ordered his army to attack Madinah, the city of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Each home there was ransacked where the casualties ranged in the thousands.
Just before his death, Yazid’s forces according to historical accounts, were ordered to attack the holy city of Mecca, where eyewitnesses reported fireballs hurled at the holy ‘Kaaba’ – the centre piece of Islam.
Yet, following his sudden death after excessive consumption of alcohol, Yazid’s son Muawiya ibn Yazid ascended to his throne for a brief rule. Known in Damascus as ‘Muawiya Sagheer’ or the younger Muawiya, the new caliph abdicated after refusing to preside over an empire whose foundations were built upon the blood of the clan of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
A central role, according to historians, in provoking the backlash after the martyrdoms on 10th of Muharram, was led by Bibi Zainab (AS), the younger sister of Imam Hussain (AS). She is famously remembered for her sermons, well preserved in history that publicly mocked Yazid in his open court, ignoring the consequences for herself and/or other captives of Karbala, including Imam Zainul Abideen (AS) and the widows of the martyrs alongside their orphaned children.
In a widely quoted text, ‘Half of my Heart: The narratives of Zaynab, Daughter of [Imam] Ali’, Roman Catholic missionary Christopher Paul Clohessy famously wrote; “In her (Bibi Zainab) decisive role as spokesperson for her brother’s cause, she became the first to drive the adversity of Karbala in to perpetuity by moving her brother’s creed and conviction, from the battlefield to the palaces of Kufa and Damascus, not only completing al-Husayn’s [Imam Hussain] ‘jihad’ (holy war) but becoming the agent through whom Karbala would become undying”.
In Pakistan, the memorable work by Syed Mohammad Taqi – the widely respected philosopher and former editor of ‘Jang’ – ‘The Future of Civilization- Exploring the Profound Impact of Sacrifice in Building a Noble and Humanitarian Society’ translated in English by Sumera Naqvi, deserves special recognition.
In his detailed analysis of the historical role of Imam Hussain (AS), Syed Mohammad Taqi wrote: “Tears shed for Imam Hussain are due to his unwavering commitment to high moral values and principles, which evoke a deep emotional response and love for these values…Every person is born in to the physical and temporal confines of the universe and Imam Hussain was no exception. However he transcends these limitations to embody the highest ideals of human civilisation”.
Any honest assessment of events at Karbala and its aftermath, must conclude its everlasting impact on human evolution for all times to come. The eventual crash of the empire of Yazid ibn Muawiya serves to bring back two key messages.
On the one hand, the use of brute force may take an immediate toll on the targeted individuals and communities of human beings. But on the other hand, the destruction of individuals and communities will not necessarily defeat their determination to eventually beat the odds.
In any clash between the values of Yazid versus those of Imam Hussain (AS), the latter will eventually emerge victorious.
Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed in this piece are the writer’s own and don’t necessarily reflect Geo.tv’s editorial policy.
The writer is an Islamabad-based journalist who writes on political and economic affairs. He can be reached at: [email protected]
Leaders from India, the United States and Taiwan offered their support to Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, on his 90th birthday on Sunday, a landmark anniversary raising geopolitical questions for the future.
Tibetans fear China will eventually name a rival successor to the Dalai Lama, bolstering Beijing’s control over Tibet, the territory it poured troops into in 1950 and has ruled ever since.
The man who calls himself a “simple Buddhist monk” celebrated in India, where he has lived since he and thousands of other Tibetans fled Chinese troops who crushed an uprising in their capital, Lhasa, in 1959.
The Dalai Lama says only his India-based office has the right to identify his eventual successor.
“I join 1.4 billion Indians in extending our warmest wishes to His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 90th birthday,” the Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, said in a statement, read at celebrations in the Himalayan hill town where the Dalai Lama lives.
“He has been an enduring symbol of love, compassion, patience and moral discipline,” he added.
China insisted on Wednesday that it would have the final say on who succeeds the Tibetan spiritual leader.
Modi’s effusive support is significant.
India and China are intense rivals competing for influence across south Asia, but have sought to repair ties after a 2020 border clash.
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, also said in a statement, read at the celebrations in India, that Washington was “committed to promoting respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Tibetans”.
“We support efforts to preserve Tibetans’ distinct linguistic, cultural and religious heritage, including their ability to freely choose and venerate religious leaders without interference,” the statement added.
Taiwan’s president, Lai Ching-te – who leads an island that China says is part of its territory and has threatened to use force to seize – said in a statement read at the ceremony that the example set by the Dalai Lama “resonates with all who cherish freedom, democracy and respect for human rights”.
Messages from three former US presidents were also broadcast.
“At a time when we see the forces of division tearing at the fabric of our common humanity … I’m grateful for your enduring efforts to build a better, kinder, more compassionate world,” Bill Clinton said.
“The world is a troubled place, and we need your spirit of kindness and compassion and love more than ever,” George W Bush added.
Barack Obama wished a “very happy birthday to the youngest 90-year-old I know”.
“It is humbling to realise that you’ve been a leader on the world stage for longer than I’ve been alive,” Obama said, in his message to his “dear friend”.
“You’ve shown generations what it means to practise compassion, and speak up for freedom and dignity,” Obama added. “Not bad for someone who describes himself as a simple Buddhist monk.”
The Gold Cup is Concacaf’s Euros and Copa America equivalent. Sunday’s final against Mexico is the United States’ last competitive match before the World Cup, which explains the sense of urgency going into it.
Pochettino’s side have experienced a promising campaign despite missing some key players. Their presence in the final reflects that progress.
It has been a bonding experience for the players involved, but it’s likely the XI that starts their first World Cup game in Inglewood next June will look significantly different.
Due to a combination of injury, the Club World Cup and fatigue, this current squad is without familiar names such as Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, Juventus pair Weston McKennie and Timothy Weah, AC Milan duo Yunus Musah and Christian Pulisic and Monaco striker Folarin Balogun.
Star man Pulisic’s decision to rest this summer rather than take part in the Gold Cup was particularly controversial given the context of building for next year’s home World Cup.
The players Pochettino has been able to call upon have developed into a useful unit as the tournament has progressed and it’s the most together and determined a US group has looked since he took over.
He might wish this togetherness could have been created with his first-choice group but, on the other hand, it has given him a good chance to test fringe players in a competitive, high-pressure environment with a trophy on the line.
Some of this contingent have made a good case for inclusion in next summer’s 26-man squad.
Diego Luna has long been touted as a player with the potential to offer the United States something they’ve been missing. The 21-year-old energetic playmaker, who plays his club football for Real Salt Lake in MLS, has come into his own in the Gold Cup as one of this team’s star players.
In goal, Matt Freese, of Manchester City’s US relative New York City, has been given the nod ahead of Nottingham Forest’s Matt Turner all tournament and, bar one mistake against Haiti, has pushed for inclusion at the World Cup.
Freese’s penalty shootout heroics in the quarter-final against Costa Rica gave him a tournament highlight, doing his chances of a 2026 call-up no harm at all.
Elsewhere, midfielder Jack McGlynn, who was also eligible to represent the Republic of Ireland, has showcased his talent on the international stage, Bayer Leverkusen-linked Malik Tillman has impressed in a role just off the striker, and Crystal Palace defender Chris Richards has strengthened his claim for a starting centre-back role.
Regardless of what happens against Mexico, this Gold Cup has been a useful experience and a productive exercise – but there’s an argument it needed to be more.
Sooner rather than later, Pochettino needs to turn this work in progress into a fully prepared first-choice team.
The musical entertainer Metro…In Dino was released yesterday, July 4, to glowing reviews. The same day, Anurag Basu was travelling but he took out time to speak exclusively to Bollywood Hungama about the reactions and a lot more.
EXCLUSIVE: “Imtiaz Ali agreed for cameo in Metro…In Dino thanks to his daughter; I did cameo as Pritam was reluctant to come on screen this time” – Anurag Basu
Metro…In Dino has unanimously received positive word of mouth. What feedback have you received personally? I am waiting for more feedback to come in over the weekend. My friends and family are liking it but I think they are biased (smiles). Hence, I am hoping the general public will watch the film in theatres and like it. Then I’ll react.
Do you plan to go to the cinema halls and see the reaction? No, because I am planning to go on a holiday (laughs)!
The track of Pankaj Tripathi and Konkona Sen Sharma and the whole track of the dating app fiasco has led to laughter in cinemas. Is this track inspired by a real-life incident? I remember when we were promoting the film, Konkona shared one post with me of a Delhi couple who faced the exact situation. Toh aisa hua toh hai. Most of the things shown in the film must have happened or are happening. It’s all around us.
The film’s content is relatable. Also, this time we see there’s a focus on metro trains which wasn’t the case in Life In A Metro (2007). After all, our cities have progressed and that needs to reflect on screen… Yes, and also technology, dating apps etc. that have entered our lives have also got prominence in the film.
The songs have been loved. However, just the Side A jukebox is out. When will Side B be released? It’ll be out soon. We had saved the musicals for Side B because we realized that people would like those songs more after they had watched it. They would not understand these songs without watching them in the film. By the end of the week, it should be out. It also has 2 main songs which haven’t been released yet.
These ‘sung dialogues’ gave a unique touch and were not present in Life In A Metro… Yes, it wasn’t there in the first part. I wanted Metro…In Dino to be different in terms of the mood and feel. This is more fun and not as dark as the earlier one.
The homage to Irrfan Khan can be seen in the climax and also in the scenes where Konkona Sen Sharma and Sara Ali Khan scream… I am glad you have noticed and there are many actually.
Has his wife Sutapa Sikandar seen the film? No, I don’t think so. I’ll call her and ask her to watch the film.
A big surprise is the cameo by Imtiaz Ali. How did you convince him? It was not difficult. I asked his daughter Ida to convince him! He has done a great job. Imtiaz doesn’t prefer to do such cameos but he made an exception for us.
Not just Imtiaz Ali, but you also have a cameo and it’s adorable… (Smiles) The reason I decided to do that cameo was because Pritam was reluctant to come this time on screen. So, I told him, ‘Main bhi karunga cameo. Tu bhi kar’. So, I promised him that I’ll also feature as a cameo. If you notice, choreographer Vijay Ganguly can also be seen in a special appearance.
Also Read: Metro… In Dino Box Office: Film opens on expected lines, very strong growth over the weekend is key
More Pages: Metro… In Dino Box Office Collection , Metro… In Dino Movie Review
Tags : Aditya Roy Kapur, Ali Fazal, Anupam Kher, Anurag Basu, Cameo, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Features, Imtiaz Ali, Konkona Sen Sharma, Metro… In Dino, Neena Gupta, Pankaj Tripathi, Sara Ali Khan
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THE famously desolate Mars landscape could be scattered with trees to the untrained eye, according to a recently shared Nasa image.
However, the US space agency was quick to explain otherwise.
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The image was captured by the Mars Reconnaissance OrbiterCredit: NASA
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Dark streaks in the sand give the illusion of treesCredit: NASA
“Are these trees growing on Mars? No,” Nasa said, as it re-shared the image first snapped in 2008.
“Groups of dark brown streaks have been photographed by theMars Reconnaissance Orbiteron melting pinkish sand dunes covered with light frost.“
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which had been in space just two years before taking the shot, was able to capture dark sandon the interior of Martian sanddunes– giving the illusion of trees.
These tree-like dark streaks of sand are located near Mars’ North Pole – which are usually covered in a layer of carbon dioxide ice in the winter.
The dark sand had become more visible during the Martian spring, when the Sun melted the lightercarbon dioxide ice on the surface of the sand.
“When occurring near the top of a dune,dark sand may cascadedown the dune leavingdark surface streaks – streaks that might appear at first to betrees standing in front of the lighter regions but cast no shadows,” explained Nasa.
“Objects about 25cm across are resolved onthis imagespanning about one kilometer.
“Close ups of some parts of this image showbillowing plumes indicating that thesand slideswere occurring even while the image was being taken.“
But they’re not the only bizarre-looking specimens located in Mars’ faraway sands.
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Can you spot the face?Credit: NASA
A buried face
What looks like a grisly, sun-scorched human face has also been discovered half-buried on Mars by Nasa’s Perseverance rover.
The image, taken by the rover in September, appears to show a sandy face with a large brow bone, nostrils and a sloping mouth on the left side.
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Which do you see first – the angel or the heart?Credit: ESA/DLR/FU Berlin
South Pole ‘angel’
On the opposite side of the planet to Mars’ mysterious ‘trees’, lies an ‘angel’ in the Martian regolith.
Snapped by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars Express, this image of the Red Planet’s South Pole seems to show an angel and a heart together.
ESA described it as an “angelic figure” in a December 2020 image release – although its caused by the same melting of ice that prompted tree-like illusions in the North Pole sand.
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Humans have found no signs of life on Mars – yetCredit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS
Martian bone
In 2014, Nasa’s Curiosity rover sent a photo back to Earth with what looked like a femur bonefrom a human thigh in the sand.
Of course, it was just a strangely shaped rock – and not quite proof of aliens.
Scientists at the time said the unusual shape was most likely the product of erosion by wind or water.
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There’s no telling how far down this pit goesCredit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona
Deep pit
This deep and oddly circular pit on Mars could lead to an extensive network of underground tunnels that may be harbouring alien life, according to Nasa.
Scientists captured the image of the hole from orbit at the Martian South Pole in 2017.
While Nasa doesn’t have any definitive answers on this odd round pit, the circular formation is likely a collapse pit or an impact crater.
Mars facts
Here’s what you need to know about the red planet…
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun
It is named after the Roman god of war
The landmass of Mars is very similar to Earth but due to the difference in gravity you could jump three times higher there than you can here
Mars is mountainous and hosts the tallest mountain known in the Solar System called Olympus Mons, which is three times higher than Everest
Mars is considered to be the second most habitable planet after Earth
It takes the planet 687 Earth days to orbit the Sun
The planet has a diameter of 4,212 miles, and has an average distance from Earth of 140 million miles
Martian temperatures can vary wildly, reaching as high as 70F/20C or as low as -225F/-153C
