Kathmandu: The 30th Climate Summit (Cope-30) will be held in Brazil.



The United Nations has chosen Brazil to host the 2025 International Climate Conference (COP-30).



Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also announced that the 30th COP will be held in the Amazonian city of Belem do Para.



In a video tweeted by President Lula, he has mentioned that he participated in climate conference in Egypt, Paris, Copenhagen and since almost everyone present in the conference talked about Amazon, he wanted to hold this conference in Amazon to make Amazon known.

30th Climate Summit will be held in Brazil

Kathmandu: Astronomers have discovered what they believe to be the largest explosion ever detected.



The explosion is more than 10 times brighter than any recorded exploding star - known as a supernova.



So far it has lasted more than three years, much longer than most supernovae which are usually only visibly bright for a few months, as reported by BBC.



One theory is that the blast was caused when a vast cloud of gas was swallowed up by a black hole.



A flash in the sky was first automatically detected and recorded in 2020 by the Zwicky Transient Facility in California.



But it wasn't until a year later that it was picked up by astronomers combing through the data.



They called the event AT2021lwx. At the time they thought it was unremarkable because there was no indication of how far away it was and therefore it wasn't possible to calculate its brightness.



(News Source: BBC)

Astronomers detect largest cosmic explosion ever seen

Kathmandu: The government has allowed animal testing for makeup ingredients to resume despite a 25-year ban.



It changed a policy on animal testing to align with EU chemical rules, according to a High Court ruling.



The High Court said on Friday that the government was acting legally after a case was brought by animal rights activists, as reported by the BBC.



More than 80 brands have said they are "dismayed" by the government's new position.



Animal testing for makeup or its ingredients had been completely banned in the UK since 1998. Animal testing had only been allowed if the benefits gained from the research outweighed any animal suffering, for example for medicines.



But in 2020 the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), an EU agency which oversees chemical regulation, ruled that companies needed to test some ingredients used in cosmetics on animals to ensure they were safe for workers manufacturing the ingredients.



During the case it was revealed that since 2019 the government had been issuing licences for animal testing of cosmetic ingredients in line with EU chemical rules, which it retained despite leaving the EU in 2020.



This could include testing chemicals commonly found in foundations and concealers by forcing rats to inhale or ingest them.



It is not known how many such licenses were issued or to whom.



Cruelty Free International (CFI), which brought the case, argued this was illegal and in breach of the animal testing ban for makeup and its ingredients, which has stood since 1998.



Mr Justice Linden ruled in favour of the government, saying that the change in policy still met existing laws, although he said it was "regrettable" the public had not been informed.



The change in the government's position has been heavily criticised by major beauty and cosmetic brands, including Unilever, Body Shop and Boots. Most major brands have long campaigned to end animal testing.



Cruelty Free International said it was "outrageous" that the government had effectively lifted the ban.



The ingredients that may be tested on animals include homosalate - a common sunscreen ingredient used already in many foundations and skincare products.



In low doses homosalate is safe but in higher concentrations the evidence for its impact on the human immune system are inconclusive.



Manufacturers can now apply for licenses to undertake animal testing before production begins, to ensure the safety of workers. But they still cannot undertake any animal testing to check the safety of the makeup for consumers. This should be done using other methods.



Mr Justice Linden said that nothing was stopping the government from introducing an absolute ban on animal testing of makeup products if it desired.



A new chemicals strategy is expected to be published this year outlining the government's position on the use and testing of chemicals in the UK - which may include further guidance to cosmetic companies.



(News Source: BBC)

Animal tests for makeup resume after 25-year ban

Kathmandu: Nations have reached a historic agreement to protect the world's oceans following 10 years of negotiations.



The High Seas Treaty places 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030, aiming to safeguard and recuperate marine nature, as reported by BBC.



The agreement was reached on Saturday evening, after 38 hours of talks, at UN headquarters in New York.



The negotiations had been held up for years over disagreements on funding and fishing rights.



The last international agreement on ocean protection was signed 40 years ago in 1982 - the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.



That agreement established an area called the high seas - international waters where all countries have a right to fish, ship and do research - but only 1.2% of these waters are protected.



Marine life living outside of these protected areas has been at risk from climate change, overfishing and shipping traffic.



In the latest assessment of global marine species, nearly 10% were found to be at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).



These new protected areas, established in the treaty, will put limits on how much fishing can take place, the routes of shipping lanes and exploration activities like deep sea mining - when minerals are taken from a sea bed 200m or more below the surface.



Environmental groups have been concerned that mining processes could disturb animal breeding grounds, create noise pollution and be toxic for marine life.



(News Source: BBC)

Ocean treaty: Historic agreement reached after decade of talks

Kathmandu: Nasa's Perseverance rover has finished building a rock depot on Mars.



It's laid down a series of tubes on the ground containing a variety of rock and environmental specimens.



The depot will serve as a reserve cache to be brought back to Earth in the event Perseverance is unable to complete the next stage of its mission.



Scientists want rock samples brought home to study in the lab. It will be the best way to determine whether life has ever existed on the Red Planet.



Photos downlinked from the robot on Monday showed the last of the 10 titanium cylinders intended for the depot, lying in the dust between the vehicle's wheels.



The tube's exact position has been carefully documented.



Perseverance was sent to Mars to investigate a 45km-wide bowl called Jezero Crater.



It's a location thought to have held a lake billions of years ago.



It also has on its western fringe the remnants of a delta.



This is a structure created from the silt and sand dumped by a river as it slows on entry into a wider body of water.



It's the kind of feature that might just have trapped evidence of past microbial organisms.



Perseverance has drilled a mix of volcanic and sedimentary rocks that should tell the story of the crater and the lake it once held. Examples of those rocks are now in the depot on a flat piece of terrain dubbed "Three Forks".



To be clear, the collection is not the primary cache Nasa wishes to return to Earth; it's more of a "Plan B".



Perseverance retains copies of the Three Forks samples in the caching system inside its belly.



The hope is the rover can directly deliver these rocks - and others yet to be drilled - to the mission that comes to take them home.



But Nasa can't risk the scenario where the rover breaks down with all the rocks stuck inside it.



The depot is therefore an insurance. It guarantees something is available to pick up when the retrieval mission arrives at the end of the decade.



Should the nightmare happen and Perseverance dies, the fetch mission will be directed straight to Three Forks.



The rover is about to drive up on to the top of the delta, accompanied by its scout drone. This mini-helicopter, named Ingenuity, has already begun the climb.



Perseverance is going to investigate what appears to be evidence of flood activity, judging from the large size of some of the boulders scattered across the top of the delta.



The robot will then move to the edge of the crater where satellite imagery indicates there are carbonate-type sedimentary rocks. These again will be a good place to look for traces of ancient biology.



Perseverance still has more than 20 sample tubes waiting to be filled.



(News Source: BBC)

Nasa's Mars rover Perseverance completes rock depot

Kathmandu: Air pollution has increased across the country.



Compared to other regions, Kathmandu Valley has the highest air pollution. Similarly, pollution condition is worse in Dhankuta and Dang.



Air Quality Index (AQI) is over 160 in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur.



AQI refers to the amount of particles smaller than 10 and 2.5 microns, carbon monoxide, sulfur, and nitrogen oxides in the air in an integrated form.



The higher the AQI, the more dangerous it is. Air with an AQI of up to 50 is considered healthy.



Due to the lack of rainfall for a long time, the drought has increased. Old vehicles and road dust are also considered to be factors in the increase in pollution.

Air pollution increases across the country

Kathmandu: Air pollution is increasing rapidly in Mumbai, India. Air pollution in the federal capital Delhi usually becomes a topic of discussion as soon as the winter season begins, but the situation in Mumbai is worse than that of Delhi several times this week, according to the BBC.



Due to the coastal line, the air quality has been good in Mumbai, this time the air quality has become bad, and it has been included in the list of cities with bad air in India.



Due to increased construction work, adverse weather conditions and smoke emitted by vehicles, the air quality of Mumbai is deteriorating, say experts.



Since the beginning of winter in cities like Delhi, Kolkata, Kanpur, Patna in India, the air quality has reached a dangerous level for human health.

Air pollution going up in Mumbai, India

Kathmandu: Most of the public vehicles in Kathmandu Valley have failed the pollution test.



On Friday, when the Department of Environment, Metropolitan Traffic Police and the Department of Transporation Management conducted pollution testing of vehicles with pollution measuring devices, it was found that most of the vehicles failed the pollution test.



In the pollution test of 54 vehicles conducted by the department today, 38 vehicles were found to have failed, while only 16 vehicles passed the test.



Along with vehicle pollution, the traffic police also checked mechanical condition and documents of the vehicle. According to the transport system procedure, even now, every rental vehicle must undergo a technical inspection of the vehicle every 6 months.



A mandatory condition of such inspection to be done at the transport office is the pollution inspection report. From now on, every big and rental vehicle must carry a report of pollution test.



Similarly, small and medium-sized vehicles should undergo such a check once in one year. In which the report of pollution inspection has been made mandatory.

Most of the public vehicles in the valley failed the pollution test

Kathmandu: COP 27, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change, has begun in the touristic city of Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.



About 30,000 people will participate in the conference. Along with the issue that developed countries will be pressured to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, this time the topic of damage-loss management and financial management will be discussed.



In COP 26, developed countries were unable to manage the separate financial management needed to address the damage, but the issue was not resolved.



Developed countries have been disagreeing on this issue, while countries that are experiencing climate damage are insisting on making damage the main issue.



In COP 27, Nepal is leading the mountain issue. Uma Regmi, Minister of Women, Children and Senior Citizens from Nepal, is leading the conference.



It has been confirmed that US President Joe Biden, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other heads of government of 40 countries will participate in the COP conference.

COP-27 begins in Egypt

Kathmandu: Glaciers across the globe - including the last ones in Africa - will be unavoidably lost by 2050 due to climate change, the UN says in a report.



Glaciers in a third of UN World Heritage sites will melt within three decades, a UNESCO report found.



Mount Kilimanjaro's last glaciers will vanish as will glaciers in the Alps and Yosemite National Park in the US.



They will melt regardless of the world's actions to combat climate change, the authors say.



The report, which makes projections based on satellite data, comes as world leaders prepare to meet in Egypt for next week's COP27 climate change conference.



About 18,600 glaciers have been identified across 50 UN World Heritage sites. They represent almost 10% of the Earth's glacierised area and include renowned tourist spots and places sacred to local populations.



The retreat and disappearance of glaciers was "among the most dramatic evidence that Earth's climate is warming", the report said.



"We hope we might be wrong, but this is the hard science," said UNESCO project officer Tales Carvalho Resende, one of the authors. "Glaciers are one of the valuable indicators of climate change, because they're visible. This is something we can really see happening."



The remaining glaciers in the other two thirds of UN World Heritage sites could be saved, but only if the world limits global warming to 1.5C, the authors say. Another UN report last week found that the world currently had "no credible pathway" to achieve that.



The projections build upon a previous report which used models to compute how World Heritage site glaciers would change over time.



"What is quite unprecedented in the historical record is how quickly this is happening," said Beata Csatho, a glaciologist from the University of Buffalo, who was not involved in the research.



"In the middle of the 1900s, glaciers were quite stable," she said. "Then there is this incredibly fast retreat."



(News Source: BBC)

Kilimanjaro's and Africa's last glaciers to go by 2050, says UN

Kathmandu: Nasa has called off the launch of its big new Moon rocket - the Space Launch System (SLS).



As reported by BBC News, controllers struggled to get an engine on the 100m-tall vehicle cooled down to its correct operating temperature.



They had previously worried about what appeared to be a crack high up on the rocket but eventually determined it was merely frost build-up.



The SLS is the biggest rocket ever developed by Nasa. It will be used to send astronauts back to the Moon, BBC reported.



The maiden flight, part of Nasa's Artemis programme, is just a demonstration with no-one on board. But ever more complex missions are planned for the future that will see people live on the lunar surface for weeks at a time.



Nasa has the option to try again on Friday, if the engine issue can be resolved by then.



(News Source: BBC)

Artemis: Nasa calls off new Moon rocket launch

Kathmandu: The American space agency is counting down to the lift-off of its giant new Moon rocket - the Space Launch System.



SLS is the most powerful vehicle ever developed by Nasa, and will be the foundation of its Artemis project which aims to put people back on the lunar surface after a 50-year absence.



As reported by the BBC News, the rocket is timed to go up from the Kennedy Space Centre at 08:33 local time (12:33 GMT; 13:33 BST) on Monday.



Its job will be to propel a test capsule, called Orion, far from Earth.



This spacecraft will loop around the Moon on a big arc before returning home to a splashdown in the Pacific Ocean in six weeks' time, reported the BBC.



Orion is uncrewed for this demonstration but assuming all the hardware works as it should, astronauts will climb aboard for a future series of ever more complex missions, starting in 2024.



(News Source: BBC)

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