Suffering From Cerebral Palsy, Pune Youth Set To Become Judge

A 31-year-old from Pune who suffers from cerebral palsy, fought all odds and is set to take charge as the Civil judge of junior division in February next year.

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New top story from Time: Police and Victims Warn Against Firing Guns on New Year’s Eve

Kaitlyn Kong thought she had been punched hard in the abdomen as she stood among thousands of people in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, as the new year arrived a year ago. Her best friend, standing next to her, thought Kong had been stabbed as blood poured from a wound.

It wasn’t until Kong underwent an X-ray that she and hospital medical staff realized she had been shot after someone fired a gun into the air to celebrate the new year.

Although rare, people being shot by celebratory gunfire on New Year’s Eve and other holidays like the Fourth of July does happen, prompting law enforcement authorities to caution people that bullets fired into the air can endanger people’s lives.

Raleigh police Lt. Mario Campos said the city receives a small number of calls about gunfire during New Year’s Eve celebrations in the city but would not discuss what happened to Kong, saying it remains under investigation. Raleigh police said at the time that the shot could have been fired from several blocks away.

“Our message has always been not to do it because it’s dangerous and illegal in our city,” Campos said. “Bullets can travel a long distance. Any gunfire discharged into the air has to come down and land on something.”

A 9-year-old boy in Cleveland was wounded by a stray bullet last New Year’s Eve as he watched television inside his family’s home. The boy’s mother declined to be interviewed. Another 9-year-old boy in Atlanta was shot in the abdomen by celebratory gunfire early Jan. 1 while he and his family set off fireworks.

A 4-year-old boy was killed in 2010 in Decatur, Georgia, when an AK-47 round penetrated a church roof and struck him in the head as he sat next to his parents during a New Year’s Eve service.

Kong, then a senior at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, headed to downtown Raleigh with her friend for the city’s family-friendly First Night celebration. Kong, 23, said she was pointing her phone upward to capture video of fireworks as confetti floated down on the crowd when it suddenly felt as if she had been punched “super hard,” prompting her to clutch her friend’s shoulder, not able to speak.

Bystanders helped move her out of the crowd, and a police officer called for an ambulance while pressure was applied to the wound.

“I didn’t think it was that serious, but I was hurting a lot,” Kong said.

It turned out to be quite serious. The bullet entered her chest and penetrated a lung, her diaphragm and stomach before lodging near her hip. Kong underwent a four-hour surgery. She recovered enough to return to classes days later with some assistance. She graduated in May with a degree in environmental studies.

“If it had been any higher, it could have done some permanent damage, to say the least,” Kong said.

APThis photo provided by Allyson Cole shows Kaitlyn Kong at the First Night Raleigh celebration in Raleigh, N.C., on Dec. 31, 2018.

A 2004 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said people struck by gunfire shot into the air are most likely to be hit in the head.

That’s what happened to Texas state Rep. Armando Martinez as he celebrated the new year at a friend’s home in Weslaco, Texas, on Jan. 1, 2017. He and his family had waited in the friend’s garage until gunfire had subsided to let off fireworks, he said.

Martinez told NBC News that his wife had just wished him a happy new year with a kiss when a .223-caliber round fell from the sky and penetrated his skull. It felt, he said, as if he had been “hit by a sledgehammer.”

“I was extremely lucky,” Martinez said. “My surgeons said if it went a couple more millimeters deeper, I may not have been able to have this conversation right now.”

Carl Leisinger III, a retired New Jersey State Police major and supervisor of the agency’s forensics laboratory, said a 9 mm round like the one that wounded Kong would typically leave the barrel at around 1,100 feet per second and then fall down at 200 to 300 feet per second. How far a bullet fired into the air travels sideways will depend on wind and other factors, he said.

“She’s very fortunate she didn’t die,” Leisinger said.

Kong said she plans to celebrate somewhere this New Year’s Eve, but not in downtown Raleigh.

“You can’t let it stop you from living your life,” she said. “Maybe I’m that kind of person.”

New top story from Time: Colombian Soccer Star Seeks Answers on His Disappeared Father

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The newly appointed chief of Colombia’s army says he is willing to meet with soccer star Juan Fernando Quintero to discuss his father’s disappearance more than 20 years ago.

Gen. Eduardo Zapateiro said during a military ceremony on Monday he “shares the pain” of Quintero’s family and added that he is willing to meet with the River Plate and Colombian national team midfielder to discuss his father’s final days.

Jaime Quintero was last seen in 1995 at an army base in the city of Carepa, which was then commanded by Zapateiro. According to Quintero’s relatives, Jaime was carrying out his compulsory military service, and disappeared after falling out with Zapateiro, who wanted to transfer him to another base due to his unruly behavior.

Following Zapateiro’s appointment as army chief last week, Quintero’s relatives gave interviews on local media in which they complained about the general’s promotion, saying he still had not answered questions on Jaime’s disappearance. Juan Fernando Quintero, who was 2 years old when his father went missing, took to Twitter on Monday morning, asking for a meeting with the general and saying that he had the right to know the truth about his father.

Zapateiro denies involvement in the disappearance of Jaime Quintero, and in a statement published yesterday the military cited investigations conducted by local courts, which blamed rebel groups for the crime.

According to Colombia’s National Center for Historical Memory, more than 80,000 people were forcibly disappeared in Colombia between 1958 and 2015, as the military and rebel groups fought for control of rural areas.

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Headless Body Of A Woman Found In Mumbai's Ghatkopar: Police

A headless body of a woman was found near Naval Gate in Ghatkopar in Mumbai on Monday morning, the police said.

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Bushfires Reach Melbourne As Heatwave Fans Australia Blazes

Around 100,000 people were urged to flee five Melbourne suburbs on Monday evening as Australia's spiralling bushfire crisis killed a volunteer firefighter battling a separate blaze in the countryside.

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Watch: Top ISRO Scientist Ends Parliamentary Meet With Flute Performance

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New top story from Time: New Line of ‘Scientist Barbies’ Refashions Dolls as Marine Biologists, Astrophysicists and More

(SALT LAKE CITY) — When Nalini Nadkarni was a kid, she’d run home from school, climb into one of the eight maple trees in her parents’ backyard and spend an afternoon there with an apple and a book.

That time in the treetops set the tone for the rest of her life: She’s now a forest ecologist at the University of Utah who’s dedicated her career to studying rain forest canopies.

She’s also always looking for new ways to get people interested in science, from fashion made with nature imagery to science lectures at the state prison.

“I’ve tried for years and years to bring the science I do and understand to people outside of academia,” she said.

Her childhood memories made her particularly interested in reaching children. After her own 6-year-old daughter asked for a Barbie, Nadkarni decided to re-fashion the iconic dolls as a scientist-explorer in rubber boots rather than high heels.

“Lots of girls, and some little boys, love Barbie,” Nadkarni said. “It’s almost aspirational, they want to be Barbie.”

That was about 15 years ago. Nadkarni said Barbie-maker Mattel wasn’t interested in the idea then, so she decided to redo dolls herself, using gear she collected.

She scoured thrift stores and eBay for Barbie dolls and enlisted help from volunteer seamstresses. She called the creation “Treetop Barbie” and began selling them at cost on her website.

Last year, Mattel began working with National Geographic to create a new line of scientist Barbies. Nadkarni has a longstanding relationship with National Geographic, so when the non-profit reached out for help, she quickly agreed.

Nadkarni joined a team of female scientists advising Mattel as it made the line of dolls that includes a marine biologist, astrophysicist, photojournalist, conservationist and entomologist.

Sales began in the summer. As a thank-you, Mattel sent Nadkarni a one-of-a-kind doll with tree-climbing gear and full dark hair woven with strands of white that made the doll resemble the scientist.

For Nadkarni, the company’s investment in the dolls reflects a broader cultural shift toward recognizing women in science, math and technology that could spark an appreciation for science even among kids who don’t end up entering the field.

Mattel said in a statement that the purpose of Barbie dolls for the last 60 years has been to “inspire the limitless potential in every girl,” pointing out that Barbie was portrayed in other science and math-based careers long before the new line, including as an astronaut in 1965.

“Barbie allows girls to try on new roles through storytelling by showing them they can be anything and, through our partnership with National Geographic, girls can now imagine themselves as an astrophysicist, polar marine biologist and more,” said Lisa McKnight, general manger of Barbie Dolls for Mattel.

It’s not known, though, how career Barbies might affect kids’ aspirations. A 2014 study by Oregon State University found that girls who played with the dolls told researchers they could do fewer jobs than boys — even if they played with a doctor Barbie.

The study didn’t examine the girls’ reasoning, but researchers speculated that Barbie might be an inherently sexualized doll, said associate professor Aurora Sherman, who worked on the paper.

Putting the same doll in a professional outfit likely won’t do much to change perceptions about what women can do, she said. But it might help to use it as a starting point for conversations about women in science and math.

“Its really going to depend on how that doll is experienced, and what adults are doing to drive home that message,” she said.

Barbie’s icon status gives the doll cultural sway, and the new dolls have the potential to normalize the idea of women in science and engineering, said Kris Macomber, a sociology professor at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Barbie sales have been increasing as the becomes available in different body shapes and careers, but there’s only so much a toy can do to change broader attitudes about what professions chosen by girls as they grow up, she said.

“Barbie does not hold all the power to change culture,” Macomber said. “But it does contribute.”

Adnan Sami, Waterproof Watch: How Ram Madhav Defended Citizenship Law

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New top story from Time: Ex-Nissan Boss Carlos Ghosn Arrives in Beirut With Japan Trial Pending

(BEIRUT) — Former Nissan chairman Carlos Ghosn, who is awaiting trial in Japan on charges of financial misconduct, has arrived in Beirut, a close friend said Monday. He apparently jumped bail.

It was not clear how Ghosn, who is of Lebanese origins and holds French and Lebanese passports, left Japan where he was under surveillance and is expected to face trial in April 2020.

Ricardo Karam, a television host and friend of Ghosn who interviewed him several times, told The Associated Press Ghosn arrived in Lebanon Monday morning..

“He is home,” Karam told the AP in a message. “It’s a big adventure.”

Karam declined to elaborate. Local media first reported Ghosn arrived in Lebanon, but didn’t offer details.

There was no immediate comment from Japan or from Lebanese officials.

Ghosn, 65, has been on bail in Tokyo since April and is facing charges of hiding income and financial misconduct. He has denied the charges. He had been under strict bail conditions in Japan after spending more than 120 days in detention.

Lebanon-based paper Al-Joumhouriya said Ghosn arrived in Beirut from Turkey aboard a private jet. AP has not been able to confirm those details or how he was able to leave Tokyo.

A house known to belong to Ghosn in a Beirut neighborhood had security guards outside with two lights on Monday night, but no sign otherwise of anyone inside. The guards denied he was inside, although one said he was in Lebanon without saying how he knew that.

Ghosn was arrested last year in Japan and has been charged with under-reporting his compensation and other financial misconduct. He denies wrongdoing and was out on bail. His trial had not started.

Ghosn’s lawyers say the allegations are a result of trumped-up charges rooted in a conspiracy among Nissan, government officials and prosecutors to oust Ghosn to prevent a fuller merger with Nissan’s alliance partner, Renault SA of France.

Ghosn, one of the auto industry’s biggest stars before his downfall, is credited with leading Nissan from near-bankruptcy to lucrative growth.

Even as he fell from grace internationally, Ghosn was still treated as a hero in Lebanon, where many had long held hopes he would one day play a bigger role in politics, or help rescue its failing economy.

Politicians across the board mobilized in his defense after his arrest in Japan, with some suggesting his detention may be part of a political or business-motivated conspiracy.

The Lebanese took special pride in the auto industry icon, who holds a Lebanese passport, speaks fluent Arabic and visited regularly. Born in Brazil, where his Lebanese grandfather had sought his fortune, Ghosn grew up in Beirut, where he spent part of his childhood at a Jesuit school.

His wife, Carole Nahas, is also of Lebanese heritage. In November,Ghosn was allowed to talk to his wife after an eight-month ban on such contact while he awaits trial.

Japanese Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Keisuke Suzuki visited Beirut earlier this month where he met with the Lebanese president and foreign minister.

New top story from Time: Bot or Not? Mystery Over Anonymous User Retweeted by Trump

CHICAGO (AP) — The Twitter user goes by Gigi, though sometimes Sophia, Emma or Leona. The occupation is listed at various times as teacher, historian, documentary writer and model. There’s been speculation about whether this person is really a woman — or even human. But bot or not, the account has gotten the attention of the president and his Twitter followers.

Just before midnight Friday, Trump retweeted a tweet from the user, then going by Surfermom77, that included the alleged name of the anonymous whistleblower whose complaint ultimately led to Trump’s impeachment by the House. Critics worry the move could invite retaliation against the individual.

The account highlights how the internet has given everyday Americans — and those posing as them — a direct line of communication to the president, even if people don’t always know who they are.

While anonymity on Twitter allows people in oppressive communities to speak online freely, it can also allow people to harass others or spread bogus claims without accountability. When those tweets get to the president, they can quickly be retweeted to millions.

Twitter’s rules permit bots and anonymous users as long as they refrain from online manipulation, racist imagery, violent threats or impersonation.

“It’s certainly something we know bad actors exploit as well,” said Cindy Otis, a disinformation expert and former CIA analyst. “The platforms that allow that policy need to be more diligent in making sure it’s not being exploited.”

For months Trump supporters and some conservative news outlets have published what they claim to be details about the whistleblower, including the person’s name and career history. Trump’s retweet marks the first time he has directly sent the alleged name into the Twitter feed of his 68 million followers.

The actual whistleblower’s identity has not been released or verified. The Associated Press typically does not reveal the identity of whistleblowers.

Social media analysts immediately raised questions about Surfermom77, noting that the account bore the hallmarks of a social media bot, an automated program that sometimes spread information online while appearing like a human.

Surfermom77 tweets more than most human users — 72 times a day on average for more than six years. Another clue? Profile photos were taken from stock photography galleries.

Following Trump’s retweet, the name on the profile changed from Sophia to Emma, then Leona and then to Gigi. The account’s handle changed, too, from Surfermom77 to LovelyGigi33. Whoever’s behind the account posted a new profile picture, replacing a stock photo of a woman in business attire with a photo of stilettos.

The user is a self-described Trump supporter and a California resident, according to the Twitter profile.

Attempts to reach the account user were unsuccessful Monday. The account’s direct messaging function was deactivated, and the profile had no email or phone contact. Phone calls to numbers matching the account’s original name and listed hometown weren’t returned. Twitter declined to speak publicly about the company’s efforts to verify the user’s identity, citing privacy and security concerns.

While Facebook has a policy banning posts that name the alleged whistleblower, Twitter does not. On Monday the account was briefly suspended by Twitter, only to be reinstated hours later. Twitter said the suspension was a mistake. On Saturday, the company had said the account hadn’t broken any of its policies.

“Twitter is extremely hesitant to suspend accounts even when they display very suspicious behavior,” said Nir Hauser, chief technology officer at VineSight, a technology firm that tracks online misinformation. “Apparently it’s a really high bar of suspicious activity.”

Proving an account is a bot or being used to manipulate other users can be difficult for online watchdogs. Otis said the rate with which Surfermom77 changed the account name and profile pictures suggest the account is run by a real person.

Facebook has a stricter policy, intended to avoid such scenarios, that requires users to provide a full name in order to create an account.

The whistleblower filed a complaint in August about one of Trump’s telephone conversations with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and other dealings with the Eastern European nation. The complaint prompted House Democrats to launch a probe that ended with Trump’s impeachment earlier this month.

Trump insists he did nothing wrong in his dealings with Ukraine and has asserted that the whistleblower made up the complaint, despite its corroboration by other officials.

Former Nissan Boss Carlos Ghosn, Facing Trial In Japan, Flown To Lebanon

Carlos Ghosn, the executive whose shocking arrest in Japan ended a more than two-decade run overseeing two of the world's largest automakers, left the country where he's awaited trial and is now in...

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Data Breach at Wyze Labs Exposes Information of 2.4 Million Customers

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Thousands Trapped On Australia Beach Encircled By Fire

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New Year 2020: Google Doodle Celebrates New Year Eve With Fireworks

As the world is all set to enter into a new year and decade, Google on Tuesday came up with a creative doodle that celebrated the new year eve with multi-colour fireworks.

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Pompeo to Meet With Ukraine’s Zelensky in Kyiv

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Ajit Pawar Deputy Chief Minister In Cabinet Expansion Today: Sources

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar will make a dramatic return as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra today, sources have said, adding that today will also see an expansion of the state cabinet that currently has only six members in addition to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. Mr Pawar's likely return comes a little over a month after he broke ranks to ally with the BJP, was sworn-in as Devendra Fadnavis's deputy in a surprise early-morning ceremony and then quit hours before a Supreme Court-ordered floor test, consigning to the bin the BJP's 80-hour-long bid to seize power.

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Fog In Delhi Hits Rail Traffic, Flights Diverted, Air Quality "Severe"

A thick blanket of fog was seen in Delhi and neighbouring cities this morning, leading to disruptions in rail traffic. Airlines have also issued an advisory for passengers taking flights from Indira Gandhi International Airport.

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New top story from Time: Plane Crashes into Home in Maryland Suburbs, Killing the Pilot

(LANHAM, Md.) — A small plane crashed in the Maryland suburbs of the nation’s capital Sunday, hitting a home’s carport and killing the lone person aboard the aircraft, authorities said.

The plane came down in the neighborhood of Lanham shortly before 3 p.m., striking the carport before it broke into many pieces on the ground, said Mark Brady, a spokesman for Prince George’s County fire and emergency services.

The plane and the carport caught fire, but the flames have been extinguished, he said.

Brady said there were no reports of injuries on the ground. It wasn’t immediately clear if someone was in the house at the time. The carport was attached to the house, Brady said. The identity of the person killed wasn’t immediately known.

The National Transportation Safety Board was expected to take over the investigation, according to Brady.

The home is near an intersection about 2 miles (3 kilometers) from an airport in College Park, Maryland. Lanham is in the northeastern section of suburbs near Washington, D.C..

New top story from Time: Sue Lyon, Who Played Lolita in Kubrick Film at 14, Dies at Age 73

(NEW YORK) — Sue Lyon, who at age 14 played the title character in director Stanley Kubrick’s 1962 film “Lolita,” has died.

Lyon’s longtime friend Phil Syracopoulos told The New York Times she had been in declining health for some time, and died Thursday in Los Angeles. No further details on her death were provided. She was 73.

Lyon was reportedly chosen from some 800 girls who sought the role of “Lolita” for the film based on Vladimir Nabokov’s 1955 novel about a middle-aged literature professor’s sexual obsession with a 12-year-old girl.

Nabokov also wrote the screenplay for Kubrick’s adaptation, whose cast included movie luminaries James Mason, Peter Sellers and Shelley Winters.

A close-up of her face wearing heart-shaped sunglasses with a lollipop at her lips was used as the movie’s poster and became its lasting iconic image, despite neither the glasses nor the sucker appearing in the film, which eliminated the book’s more graphic sexual depictions and played up its comic aspects.

For Lyon, it was her first film. She had taken a pair of tiny TV roles before it, and would act for nearly 20 years after it, but would never be known for anything nearly as much as for “Lolita.”

Born the youngest of five children in Davenport, Iowa, in 1946, Lyon’s father died before she was one year old. Her mother soon after moved the family to Dallas, then a few years later took her children to Los Angeles, where Lyon took up acting.

She got roles in 1959 on “The Loretta Young Show,” where Kubrick noticed her, and in 1960 on “Dennis the Menace.”

Her post-“Lolita” credits included 1964’s “Night of the Iguana” and 1971’s “Tony Rome.” Her final acting job was in the 1980 horror film “Alligator.”

New top story from Time: Kim Jong Un Calls for ‘Offensive Measures’ in Year-End Party Meeting as Tensions With U.S. Rise

(SEOUL, South Korea) — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for his military and diplomats to prepare unspecified “offensive measures” to protect the country’s security and sovereignty, the North’s state media said on Monday, before his end-of-year deadline for the Trump administration to make major concessions to salvage a fragile nuclear diplomacy.

Kim during a ruling Workers’ Party meeting Sunday also “comprehensively and anatomically analyzed” problems arising in efforts to rebuild the North’s moribund economy and presented tasks for “urgently correcting the grave situation of the major industrial sectors,” the Korean Central News Agency said.

The plenary meeting of the party’s Central Committee, which began on Saturday, is being closely watch amid concerns that Kim could suspend his deadlocked nuclear negotiations with the United States and take a more confrontational approach by lifting a self-imposed moratorium on nuclear and long-range missile tests.

Kim, who has said the North would pursue a “new path” if Washington persists with sanctions and pressure, is expected to announce major policy changes during his New Year’s address on Wednesday.

KCNA said the party meeting will continue for at least another day on Monday. The report did not describe any specific decisions made at the meeting or mention any particular remarks by Kim about the United States.

“Emphasizing the need to take positive and offensive measures for fully ensuring the sovereignty and security of the country as required by the present situation, (Kim) indicated the duties of the fields of foreign affairs, munitions industry and armed forces of the DPRK,” the agency said in its English report, referring to North Korea’s formal name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

KCNA’s Korean-language report said Kim called for “active and offensive” measures.

Kim also “comprehensively and anatomically analyzed the problems arising in the overall state building including the state management and economic construction in the present time,” the agency said.

Kim has met President Donald Trump three times in two years of high-stakes summitry, but the diplomacy has progressed little beyond their vague aspirational goal of a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. At their last meeting in June, they agreed to resume talks. A working-level meeting in Sweden in October broke down with the North Koreans blaming their American counterparts for maintaining an “old stance and attitude.”

The North said earlier this month it conducted two “crucial” tests at its long-range rocket launch facility, raising speculation it has been developing a new long-range missile or preparing a satellite launch.

Delhi House Where 11 Of Family Were Found Hanging Now Diagnostics Centre

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Unable To Kidnap Girl, Group Of Men Chops Off Her Nose In Gurgaon: Cops

A group of men chopped off the nose of a girl after they failed in their attempt to kidnap her at a village in Gurgaon on Sunday, the police said.

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Irish PM Leo Varadkar Visits His Ancestral Village In Maharashtra

Ireland Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Sunday visited his ancestral village alongwith his family members in the coastal Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra, calling it "a very special moment".

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Dense Fog In Delhi Disrupts Rail Traffic, Airlines Give Advisory

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After US Tariff Threat, France Isn't Quaffing Champagne The Way It Did

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Road To Delhi: 10 Indian Politicians Who Had The Most Impact This Decade

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Delhi Weather Updates: Dense Fog Blankets NCR; 30 Trains Running Late

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2 Children Among 6 Dead As Car Falls Into Canal Near Delhi Due To Fog

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Vladimir Putin Thanks Donald Trump For Tip Russia Says Foiled Attacks

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White House Warns North Korea Over "Christmas Gift" Threat

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John Lewis, Congressman and Civil Rights Icon, Has Pancreatic Cancer

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New top story from Time: ‘I Have a Fighting Chance.’ Rep. John Lewis Says He Has Pancreatic Cancer

ATLANTA (AP) — Congressman John Lewis of Georgia announced Sunday that he has stage IV pancreatic cancer, vowing he will stay in office and fight the disease with the tenacity which he fought racial discrimination and other inequalities since the civil rights era.

Lewis, the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists in a group once led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., said in a statement that cancer was discovered this month during a routine medical visit. He said subsequent tests confirmed the diagnosis of stage IV pancreatic cancer.

“I have been in some kind of fight — for freedom, equality, basic human rights — for nearly my entire life. I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now,” he said in a statement.

His statement added: While I am clear-eyed about the prognosis, doctors have told me that recent medical advances have made this type of cancer treatable in many cases, that treatment options are no longer as debilitating as they once were, and that I have a fighting chance.”

राजस्थान के कोटा में 24 दिनों में 70 बच्चों की मौत हो चुकी है

राजस्थान के कोटा शहर में एक शिशु केंद्र में 48 घंटों में 10 बच्चों की मौत हो गई. इन मौतों के बाद यहां काफी हड़कंप मच गया है. इस महीने में अब तक 70 बच्चों की जान जा चुकी है. मुख्यमंत्री अशोक गहलोत ने मामले की जांच के लिए एक जांच टीम कोटा भेजी है. देखें वीडियो.

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दूसरी बार झारखंड के मुख्यमंत्री बनेंगे हेमंत सोरेन

झारखंड विधानसभा चुनाव में जेएमएम-कांग्रेस-राजद गठबंधन की ऐतिहासिक जीत के बाद आज हेमंत सोरेन राज्य के मुख्यमंत्री के रूप में शपथ लेंगे. राज्य के ऐतिहासिक मोहराबादी मैदान में राज्यपाल द्रौपदी मुर्मू गठबंधन विधायक दल के नेता जेएमएम हेमंत सोरेन को पद व गोपनीयता की शपथ दिलाएंगीं. जेएमएम के एक नेता के अनुसार, रांकपा के शरद पवार और कांग्रेस नेता राहुल गांधी इस शपथ ग्रहण समारोह में शामिल होंगे. देखें वीडियो

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"Did My Duty": UP Cop Denies Manhandling Priyanka Gandhi

A Lucknow cop has denied claims that Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was manhandled last night when she was on her way to meet a retired IPS officer, who has been arrested for opposing the...

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Pejavara Mutt Chief Vishwesha Teertha Swami Dies At 88

The head of Pejavara Mutt Vishwesha Teertha Swamidied this morning after battling an illness. The Pejavara mutt is one among the "Ashta" Mutts of Udupi. "May Lord Krishna grant salvation to his soul....

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BJP To Undertake Outreach Programme Amit Protests Over Citizenship Law

In the backdrop of ongoing protests against the amended Citizenship Act and National Population Register (NPR), the ruling BJP has planned to undertake an outreach programme to rubbish the fake news...

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Monsey Stabbing: Several Wounded at Rabbi’s Home in N.Y. Suburb

By BY NEIL VIGDOR from NYT New York https://ift.tt/36inEP2

Look Up

By BY CLYDE HABERMAN AND ZACH GROSS from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/355Z9U2

The Decade of Disillusionment

By BY ROSS DOUTHAT from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2stHp7O

Weather Office's "Red" Warning Over Severe Cold Wave In Delhi

A severe cold wave in the national capital has prompted a "red" warning from the weather office after the temperature on Saturday fell to 1.9 degree Celsius in parts of Delhi. The Safdarjung observatory recorded a low of 2.4 degree Celsius - lowest in decades. A "red" warning from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) means "extreme weather conditions".

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दिल्ली में सर्दी ने तोड़ा 120 साल पुराना रिकॉर्ड

उत्तरी भारत में गुरुवार को कड़ाके की ठंड का कहर बरकरार है. राष्ट्रीय राजधानी दिल्ली में दिसंबर की सर्दी का यह आलम है कि यह 1901 के बाद दूसरी बार ऐसा हो सकता है जब साल का आखिरी महीना इतना सर्द रहा हो. मौसम विभाग के अनुसार दिल्ली में तापमान और भी गिर सकता है. दिल्ली में न्यूनतम तापमान 5.8 डिग्री सेल्सियस दर्ज किया गया जबकि अधिकतम तापमान 13.4 डिग्री सेल्सियस रहा, जो कि सामान्य से सात डिग्री सेल्सियस कम है.

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"Take Immediate Action": Union Minister On UP Cop's "Go To Pak" Rant

Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said "action must be taken" against the Uttar Policeman who was seen in a video making communal statements in a Muslim locality in Meerut last...

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Hemant Soren's Oath Today In Jharkhand At Opposition Unity Event

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha president Hemant Soren will take oath as the eleventh Chief Minister of Jharkhand this afternoon at a mega oath ceremony in Ranchi after the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance won a...

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कोनेरू हंपी ने जीता वर्ल्ड रैपिड चैंपियनशिप का खिताब, मां बनने के बाद दो साल तक थीं शतरंज से दूर

भारत की युवा महिला ग्रैंडमास्टर कोनेरू हंपी ने वर्ल्ड रेपिड चैंपियनशिप 2019 का खिताब जीत लिया है।

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Weather Office's "Red" Warning Over Severe Cold Wave In Delhi

A severe cold wave in the national capital has prompted a "red" warning from the weather office after the temperature on Saturday fell to 1.9 degree Celsius in parts of Delhi. The Safdarjung...

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Woman Who Died At 105 Left Behind $10 Million For Community Colleges

Money was scarce when Eva Gordon graduated from her Oregon high school, and attending college was not an option. But her fortune, amassed over decades of investing what little money she could scrape...

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पुलिस वालों ने मेरा गला पकड़ा: प्रियंका गांधी

कांग्रेस महासचिव प्रियंका गांधी वाड्रा ने शनिवार को पुलिस पर गम्भीर आरोप लगाते हुए कहा कि नये नागरिकता कानून के खिलाफ हाल में हुई हिंसा के मामले में गिरफ्तार किये गये पूर्व पुलिस अधिकारी के घर जाते वक्त उन्हें रोकने की कोशिश कर रही पुलिस ने उनका ‘गला दबाकर उन्हें गिराया.'प्रियंका ने संवाददाताओं से कहा कि वह नये नागरिकता कानून के खिलाफ हुए हिंसक प्रदर्शन के मामले में गिरफ्तार किये गये सेवानिवृत्त आईपीएस अफसर एस.आर. दारापुरी के परिजन से मुलाकात करने के लिये पार्टी राज्य मुख्यालय से निकली थीं. रास्ते में लोहिया चौराहे पर पुलिस ने उन्हें रोक लिया.

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How To Diagnose Vertigo

Vertigo is the feeling that you or your environment is moving or spinning. There are several causes for it and the treatment depends on the cause. It is important to undergo the correct diagnosis to ascertain the cause. Dr Sonia Lal Gupta, Neurologist, Metro Hospital, tells us what we should do if you have vertigo.

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Ivanka Trump Hints She Might Leave White House If Father Is Re-Elected

Ivanka Trump, the daughter and advisor to US President Donald Trump, has indicated that she could exit the White House if her father is re-elected in the 2020 presidential election.

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"Help Me": McDonald's Staff Rush To Protect Woman Threatened By Boyfriend

The woman's boyfriend had threatened to kill her, police say.

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Assam BJP MLA Accused Of Provoking Supporters Against Protesters

A civil society group has filed a police complaint against an Assam BJP MLA for allegedly exhorting supporters to hit back at Citizenship Act protesters.

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Trump Retweets - Then Deletes - A Post Naming The Alleged Whistleblower

President Donald Trump retweeted and then deleted a post naming the alleged whistleblower who filed the complaint that became the catalyst for the congressional inquiry that resulted in his...

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Joe Burrow Threw 7 Touchdowns. And That Was Just L.S.U.’s First Half

By BY ALAN BLINDER from NYT Sports https://ift.tt/2MCFIvQ

Fred P. Graham, Legal Affairs Reporter and Court TV Anchor, Dies at 88

By BY ROBERT D. MCFADDEN from NYT Obituaries https://ift.tt/2ZvYU3i

Hero in U.N.C. Charlotte Shooting Is Honored in New ‘Star Wars’ Book

By BY AIMEE ORTIZ from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2SwDe5K

Delhi Sees New Winter Low, Temperature Drops To 2.4 Degrees This Morning

Gripped by severe cold, Delhi this morning recorded a minimum temperature of 2.4 degrees Celsius, the lowest for this season this far. The national capital - under a cold spell since December 14 - is...

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New top story from Time: The Darksaber Made a Crucial Appearance in The Mandalorian‘s Season Finale. Here’s Its Significance in Star Wars Lore

The first Star Wars live-action television show, The Mandalorian on Disney+, made the most of Star Wars lore in its first season, which wrapped up with an explosive episode directed by Taika Waititi on Friday. In eight episodes, the show delved into the origins of the Mandalorian creed, gave fans insight into the political fallout of the Rebellion against the Empire and introduced an adorable, young member of Yoda’s unnamed species. (It also gave us an unexpected cameo from Jason Sudeikis as a Stormtrooper who punches said cutie.)

But perhaps the most thrilling callback to franchise folklore came in the final moments of the season finale when the villain Moff Gideon (Giancarlo Esposito) cut himself out of his crashed ship using a black lightsaber. The weapon has not appeared in any of the live-action films, but it is famous in the Star Wars extended universe. It’s called a Darksaber, and it used to be a prized weapon among the Mandalorians—before Moff Gideon got his hands on it.

Lightsaber colors have evolved along with the Star Wars saga. In the first two films, A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, sabers were exclusively blue (for Jedi like Luke Skywalker) and red (for devotees of the Dark Side like Darth Vader). Filmmakers introduced a green lightsaber in Return of the Jedi so that Luke could fight with a saber that stood out against the bright blue sky of Tatooine in the scene where he, Leia and Han escape Jabba the Hutt. (Up until then, lightsaber fights had taken place exclusively in dim locales.)

Samuel L. Jackson requested that his character Mace Windu wield a purple lightsaber in the prequel movies so that he could stand out during large fight scenes, like the one in the arena on Genosis in Attack of the Clones. And (spoiler alert for The Rise of Skywalker) Rey builds herself a new, yellow lightsaber at the end of the most recent Star Wars trilogy.

But the Darksaber has only appeared in Star Wars television series, never on the big screen. It made its debut in a 2010 episode of the Clone Wars animated series, carried by a man named Pre Vizsla (voiced, coincidentally, by Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau). Pre Vizsla was a terrorist who often fought with the Jedi.

However, Pre Vizsla’s ancestor, Tarre Vizsla, was the first Mandalorian to become a Jedi. Tarre Vizsla created the black lightsaber during the rule of the Old Republic (before the prequels). Unlike most lightsabers, the blade of the Darksaber is angled and looks more like a sword. The size and intensity of the blade can, according to lore, change based on the user’s emotions.

As discussed in the final episode of The Mandalorian, the Jedi and the Mandalorians were traditionally enemies. Tarre Vizsla becoming a Jedi led to a short truce between the two groups. Tarre Vizsla eventually became the ruler of the planet Mandalore. When he died, the Jedi took back the Darksaber and stored it in the Jedi Temple and the peace between the Mandalorians and the Jedi eventually fell apart. The Mandalorians later stole the weapon from the Jedi Temple when the Old Republic began to crumble.

The Darksaber became an important symbol among the Mandalore. Whoever held it became the leader of Clan Vizsla, one of the largest clans on the Mandalorian planet. The only way a person could become the master of the Darksaber was to defeat its previous owner.

Pre Vizsla and his clan helped save Darth Maul (the villain from Phantom Menace, who was an apprentice to Palpatine) after Obi-Wan Kenobi cut the Sith Lord in two at the end of that movie. (Maul survived using the Force.) Unfortunately for Pre Vizsla, Maul coveted the Darksaber and eventually the two dueled. Maul won the Darksaber from Pre Vizsla, and the Mandalorians became divided over whether to follow Darth Maul, a non-Mandalore, or a Mandalore leader instead. Civil War broke out on the planet.

Darth Maul later challenged his old master Palpatine (a.k.a. Darth Sidious) and Palpatine’s new apprentice General Grievous. Maul lost but did not die. He went on to become a crime lord (as seen in Solo). But in that movie, he uses his red, double-bladed saber (as seen in Phantom Menace). So it’s unclear what happened to the Darksaber between Maul’s battle with Palpatine and the rise of the Empire.

In a 2013 episode of the animated series Rebels, a Mandalorian weapons expert named Sabine Wren found the saber on Dothamir, the planet where Maul’s crime syndicate was based, after the Empire took control of the galaxy. She trained to use the Saber under Jedi trainee Kanan Jarus. (Another spoiler alert for The Rise of Skywalker: Kanan Jarus’ voice — more specifically Freddie Prinze Jr.’s voice — is among those that Rey hears during the final battle of that movie, along with Luke’s, Leia’s, Obi-Wan’s, Anakin’s, Mace Windu’s, Quin-Gon Jinn’s, Yoda’s and others.)

Sabine Wren went on to use the Darksaber to fight Imperial soldiers on Mandalore when they tried to wipe out the Mandalorian race. Sabine Wren gave the saber to Bo-Katan Kryze, who by virtue of holding the weapon became the new ruler of the Mandalorians. She is the last known owner of the saber before Moff Gideon appears with it in the show. That means the saber’s whereabouts are unaccounted for during the run of the original trilogy, when the rebels fought against and defeated the Empire.

Moff Gideon’s unlikely survival at the end of The Mandalorian suggests that he will be the big bad in the second season of the series. We’ll likely see the darksaber again and, hopefully, find out how he acquired it. Gideon seems to be obsessed with Mandalorian culture: He played a major role in the Purge on Mandalore and even went so far as to discover the true names of the foundlings — or orphans — who were rescued and trained by the Mandalorians, including Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal), whose name we hear for the first time in this episode.

But if Din Djarin manages to somehow acquire the darksaber, that could make him the leader of the remaining Mandalorians. Perhaps that’s where this series is ultimately headed when it returns for a second season in fall of 2020.

The Secrets of Jewish Genius

By BY BRET STEPHENS from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2Q3lvRO

Temperatures Tumble To Minus-60 Degrees In Alaska

Bettles, Alaska hasn't climbed above 0 degrees in nearly 10 days. Sunday's high temperature was minus-47.

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On Land, Australia's Rising Heat Is 'Apocalyptic'. In Ocean, Its Worse.

Even before the ocean caught fever and reached temperatures no one had ever seen, Australia's ancient giant kelp was cooked.

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10 Infants Die In 2 Days In Rajasthan's Kota, Chief Minister Orders Probe

Ten infants have died in 48 hours at a hospital in Rajasthan's Kota, prompting an inquiry by the state government.

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Joe Biden Says He’d Defy Subpoena to Testify in Trump’s Senate Trial

By BY THOMAS KAPLAN from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/366eqpk

ISIS Affiliate in Nigeria Releases a Video Showing 11 Executions

By BY RUTH MACLEAN AND ERIC SCHMITT from NYT World https://ift.tt/2tcrGtD

The ‘Infinity War’ in the Streets of Hong Kong

By BY ROGER COHEN from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/2ZsW6UC

Neal R. Peirce, Who Put Spotlight on Urban Innovation, Dies at 87

By BY KEITH SCHNEIDER from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2Zurbr7

American Contractor Killed in Rocket Attack in Iraq

By BY JULIAN E. BARNES from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/2MxXwrC

Russia Deploys Hypersonic Weapon, Potentially Renewing Arms Race

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Arthur Singer Jr., Who Set the Stage for Public TV, Dies at 90

By BY SAM ROBERTS from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2MBoP4B

The Patriarchy of Alcoholics Anonymous

By BY HOLLY WHITAKER from NYT Opinion https://ift.tt/365eyVM

‘There Is No Excuse.’ Methodist Pastor, Accused of Sexual Harassment, Steps Down.

By BY JACK HEALY from NYT U.S. https://ift.tt/357W2et

Ruling in Paul Haggis Case Gives Lift to #MeToo Lawsuits

By BY NANCY COLEMAN from NYT Arts https://ift.tt/2Zx0l1n

Sue Lyon, Star of ‘Lolita,’ Is Dead at 73

By BY NEIL GENZLINGER from NYT Movies https://ift.tt/2Qp7tcj

N.Y.P.D. Steps Up Patrols After Reports of 8 Anti-Semitic Incidents

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Mexican Police Chief Arrested in Massacre of Mormon Family

By BY ELISABETH MALKIN from NYT World https://ift.tt/2sq1QT7

Probation Officer Accused of Sexually Assaulting Parolees Is Arrested

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2010-2019: India's Top 10 News Events That Defined The Decade

Two of the world's largest-ever democratic elections with a turnout of nearly 2 billion people, dozens of other assembly or state elections - some simultaneous, while most within a few months of each...

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ISIS Says It Beheaded Christian Captives In Nigeria

ISIS released a video purporting to show its militants beheading 10 Christian men in Nigeria, saying it was part of a campaign to avenge the deaths of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and its...

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No Internet In Parts Of UP, Drones Fly As Cops Brace For Fresh Protests

The Uttar Pradesh government has placed the state on high alert and blacked out Internet connectivity in 12 districts until Friday evening over concerns of further protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act erupting after the Friday prayers.

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Eclipse

By Unknown Author from NYT Science https://ift.tt/2F8c9y5

Behind the Cover: The Lives They Lived

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Railways To Rationalise Fare, Freight Rates, Chairman Says Amid Slowdown

The railways is in the process of "rationalising" its passengers and freight fares, Railway Board Chairman VK Yadav said on Thursday. He, however, refused to say if the prices will be increased.

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India, Iran Agree To Speed Up Chabahar Port Project

Tehran and Delhi have agreed to accelerate the development of an important Iranian port, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said during a visit to the sanctions-hit Islamic republic on Monday.

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Karnataka Minister Warns Of Confiscation Of Assets Of Violent Protesters

Sending out a stern warning, Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka on Thursday said the state government would emulate Uttar Pradesh and confiscate properties of those who caused damage to public...

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New top story from Time: Japan Revises Its Plan to Cleanup the Fukushima Site, Delaying Key Steps

TOKYO (AP) — Japan on Friday revised a roadmap for the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant cleanup, further delaying the removal of thousands of spent fuel units that remain in cooling pools since the 2011 disaster. It’s a key step in the decades-long process, underscoring high radiation and other risks. The government and the plant operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., still keep a 30- to 40-year completion target.

A look at some of the challenges:

More than 4,700 units of fuel in pools

More than 4,700 units of fuel rods remain inside the three melted reactors and two others that survived the 2011 earthquake and tsunami. They pose a high risk because their storage pools are uncovered and a loss of water in case of another major disaster could cause fuel rods to melt, releasing massive radiation. Their removal at Units 1 and 2, after repeated delays, is now delayed by up to 10 years from the initial target of 2018, with more preparation needed to reduce radiation and clear debris and other risks.

Fuel rods removal at No. 1 reactor pool will begin sometime in 2027-2028, after debris is cleaned up and a huge rooftop cover installed to contain radioactive dust. Fuel removal at Unit 2 pool is to begin in 2024-2026. Work at No. 3 reactor pool began in April 2019 and all 566 units will be removed by March 2021. TEPCO has emptied the pool at Unit 4, which was offline and only suffered building damage, and aims to have all remaining rods in reactor pools removed by 2031 for safer storage in dry casks.

1.2 million tons of radioactive water

TEPCO has been unable to release the 1.2 million tons of treated but radioactive water kept in nearly 1,000 tanks at the plant, fearing public repercussions and impact on the area’s struggling fishing and farming. The water keeps growing by 170 tons daily because it is used to cool the melted fuel.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry recently drafted a proposal to release the water to the sea or the air, or a combination of both. TEPCO says it can only store up to 1.37 million tons until the summer of 2022. Time is limited because preparation is needed before any water release. TEPCO and the government say the tanks pose risks if they were to spill out the contents in another major earthquake, tsunami or flood. They also need to free up space to build storage for melted fuel removed from reactors beginning 2021.

The water is still somewhat contaminated, but TEPCO says further treatment can remove all but radioactive tritium to levels allowed for release. Experts say tritium is not harmful to humans in small amounts and has been routinely released from nuclear plants around the world.

880 tons of melted fuel

Removing an estimated 880 tons of molten fuel from Fukushima’s three melted reactors is the toughest and unprecedented challenge. It’s six times the amount dealt with in the aftermath of the 1979 Three Mile Island partial core melt.

A removal is to begin in 2021 at Unit 2, where robotic probes have made bigger progress than at Units 1 and 3. A robotic arm was developed to enter the reactor from the side to reach the melted fuel that has largely fallen to the bottom of the primary containment vessel. A side entry would allow a simultaneous removal of fuel rods in the pool from the reactor’s top. A melted fuel removal will begin with just a spoonful, which will be carefully measured and analyzed per International Atomic Energy Agency instructions. The government hopes to gradually expand the scale of removal, though further expertise and robotic development is needed. The first decade through 2031 is a crucial phase that would affect future progress. Units 1 and 3 fell behind due to high radiation and water levels respectively, requiring more investigation.

770,000 tons of radioactive waste

Japan has yet to develop a plan to dispose of the highly radioactive melted fuel and other debris that come out of the reactors. TEPCO will compile a plan for those after the first decade of melted fuel removal. Managing the waste will require new technologies to reduce its volume and toxicity. TEPCO and the government say they plan to build a site to store the waste and debris removed from the reactors, but finding one and getting public consent would be difficult.

Additionally, there will be an estimated 770,000 tons of solid radioactive waste by 2030, including contaminated debris and soil, sludge from water treatment, scrapped tanks and other waste. They will be sorted out, treated, compacted for safe storage under a plan to be compiled by 2028.

8 trillion yen

The government says Fukushima’s decommissioning cost is estimated at 8 trillion yen ($73 billion), though adding compensation, decontamination of the surrounding areas and medium-term storage facilities would bring the total to an estimated 22 trillion yen ($200 billion). Japan Center for Economic Research, a think tank, estimates that decommissioning alone would cost 51 trillion yen ($470 billion) if the water is not released and a tritium removal technology is pursued.

10,000 workers

More than 10,000 workers will be needed annually in coming years, about one third assigned to work related to the radioactive water. Securing experienced workforce for the decadeslong cleanup is a challenge in a country with rapidly aging and declining population. Nuclear Regulation Authority Chairman Toyoshi Fuketa raised concerns about a possible labor shortage following recent minor mishaps at the plant. TEPCO has expressed intention of hiring workers for the decommissioning under Japan’s new policy allowing more unskilled foreign labor, but the plan is on hold following government instructions to address language and safety concerns.