Jupiter is best known for the Great Red Spot, a long-lived storm roughly the diameter of Earth. But astronomers have now discovered another such Great Spot, dubbed 'Great Cold Spot', created by the powerful energies exerted by the great planet's polar aurorae.

The cool dark patch stretches up to 24,000 km across and 12,000 km wide, and it is in the gas giant's thin high-altitude thermosphere which is much cooler than the surrounding atmosphere, said a study in the Geophysical Research Letters.

"This is the first time any weather feature in Jupiter's upper atmosphere has been observed away from the planet's bright aurorae," said lead author of the study Tom Stallard, Associate Professor in Planetary Astronomy at University of Leicester in Britain. 

The phenomenon, only recently observed, may have existed for thousands of years.

"The Great Cold Spot is much more volatile than the slowly changing Great Red Spot, changing dramatically in shape and size over only a few days and weeks, but it has re-appeared for as long as we have data to search for it, for over 15 years," Stallard said.

"That suggests that it continually reforms itself, and as a result it might be as old as the aurorae that form it – perhaps many thousands of years old," Stallard added.

The Great Cold Spot was first discovered on Jupiter using observations taken of Jupiter's auroral region by the CRIRES instrument on European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope in Chile.

The researchers then compared the data with thousands of images from NASA's InfraRed Telescope Facility in Hawaii.

The analysis confirmed the presence of the Great Cold Spot.

Actor-producer Abhay Deol has slammed fairness cream advertisements, featuring celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, in "reference to a comment made by a politician on TV".

Though he didn't name the politician, he may have been taking a swipe at BJP MP Tarun Vijay, who told Al Jazeera last week: "If we were racist, why would we have all the entire south… why do we live with them if we are racist? We have black people around us."

Following the remarks, Abhay posted a series of fairness cream campaigns on Facebook on Wednesday.

"We are not a racist country! I will prove it to you. In the picture below, John holds a card with shades from white to dark. Hey! You can see the promise of darker skin too if you read the card from left to right!," he said.

"He's not telling you to go from right to left. Duh! Even if the writing on the tube reads 'Intensive fairness moisturiser'. It just means it's 'fair' to all who use it," the actor captioned the image.

In another one, featuring actress Vidya Balan, he wrote: "This one asks the question 'How true is your fairness?' And further asks if you just have an 'outer white layer' or is your 'radiant fairness from within?' It even has the words 'Veda' in the packaging and that goes to prove we are originally white from within. Know your history folks!"

It wasn't just about women endorsing skin whitening brands.

He shared an ad with the image of actor Shahid Kapoor. He wrote alongside the image: "His face is dark on the right only because that part of the paper was left exposed to the sun. They are clearly not trying to show a dark shade going on to light. Shame on you to think our celebs would be so irresponsible, there's a good explanation for everything!"

Abhay also wrote about how SRK was "clearly trying to make you a man, becoming whiter in the process is just a side effect".

Actress Deepika made it to his hit list as well.

"It says '2-in-1 fairness cream'. If you notice her eyes are also lighter than they are in real life. So '2-in-1' must be you can put it in your eyes to change their colour. It's not so much a 'fairness' cream as it is a coloured lens for the eyes. And who wouldn't want grey eyes eh? It's the colour of Delhi in the winter. What a patriotic cream!"

He concluded the fairness cream bashing by posting about actress-filmmaker Nandita Das.

Sharing her image, he wrote: "Silly Nandita trying to teach us that Black is also beautiful. Doesn't she know that we already know that? Why else would we be so accepting of people from the south*? What's that? She's from Orissa? Can we include that in the southern belt of states? Cause I really want to believe in my bullshit. *in reference to a comment made by a politician on TV."

He further wrote: "There's a lot more of these campaigns that are blatantly, and sometimes subtly, selling you the idea that whiter skin is better than darker skin. No one at the top of their game in any field is going to tell you that it is demeaning, false, and racist."

"You have to see that for yourself. You have to stop buying into the idea that a particular shade is better than others," he pointed out.

"Unfortunately, if you look at matrimonial ads, you will see how entrenched in our psyche this belief is. We even use the word 'dusk' to describe the colour of someone's skin. While an individual may not be able to change this attitude in his/her community, he/she can at least start with the family," he signed off.

Claire Foy says she is relieved to leave The Crown as she feels dedicating a long period of time to play a single character is a daunting task for an actor.

The 32-year-old actress, who essays the role of Queen Elizabeth II in the TV series, says she knew what she had signed up for and is glad that it is over, reported The Independent.

“That's not a shock we always knew when we signed up to it, and also not to be funny but it's also a real plus. As an actor there's nothing worse than the sound of 'seven years'.

“I'm sure to some people it sounds amazing but to us it's like, seven years of playing the same person? And this is a tough job, you know? It's long, a good nine-monther (working on the show each year). And that's a lot of your life that you sign over to it,” Foy says.

The show will take a leap in the lives of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, where he co-star Matt Smith will be recast instead of artificially ageing them using prosthetics or CGI.

Foy adds that she will miss being on the show and says, “I'm going to miss it terribly. But I just can't wait to see where it goes, I just can't wait.”

The second season of The Crown is expected to hit Netflix in November and the third installment will follow next year.

Facebook has rolled out group payments feature within its Messenger app, allowing users to pay either everyone in the group or individual members.

According to a report on Tech Crunch on Tuesday, users can also request payments from the group right within their chat.

Users can enter the amount they want to request from each person or the total amount to be divided evenly by the group members. They can also mention in a note about what the money is for.

"A message will appear in the group chat to show who has paid. Those details are available by viewing the Request Details in full-screen, too," the report noted.

This is a free service and does not require a password. Available on Android and desktop as of now, the group payments is live in the US since Tuesday.

"Payments is an area of Facebook's business that hasn't received as much focus over the years, despite the social network's potential to collect and store payment data for its sizable user base," the report stated.

Facebook had introduced person-to-person payments within Messenger in early 2015. Now the decision to expand the feature to group payments coincides the time when Facebook is rumoured to be preparing the launch of a digital payments business in India within its other messaging app, WhatsApp.

 Actress Sayyeshaa, who will be working with actor-filmmaker Prabhudheva in his upcoming Tamil directorial Karuppu Raja Vella Raja, stunned the popular choreographer with her moves on the sets of Vanamagan.

A forest-based action-drama, the upcoming Vanamagan marks the Tamil film debut of Sayyeshaa. Prabhudheva got to work with the Shivaay star on a song he choreographed in Vanamagan.

"He was brought exclusively to choreograph a solo number on Sayyeshaa. He was told that she is a very good dancer. Hence, Prabhu master decided to give her one of his toughest moves which he performed two decades ago in his film Raasaiyya," a source from the film's unit shared.

As part of the song, Sayyeshaa was required to lie on her back and move like a wave.

"It was a very difficult move. Sayyeshaa rehearsed for four days but on the day of the shoot, she pulled it off in a single take. Her moves left everybody on the sets stunned, including Prabhu master. It was her commitment that landed her an opportunity to work under his direction," the source added.

At the launch of Karuppu Raja Vella Raja earlier this week, Vishal heaped praise on the 19-year-old's dancing skills.

"Karthi and I watched one of her songs from Vanamagan. Both of us were stunned by what we saw and we told each other we are going to have a tough time matching steps with her. She is easily one of the best dancers in the country today," Vishal said.

Sayyeshaa is paired with Vishal and Karthi in Karuppu Raja Vella Raja.
 

The follow-up to Gilmore Girls revival, titled Marvelous Mrs Maisel, has been picked up for two installments.

The hour-long dramedy created by Amy Sherman-Palladino has been handed out a two-season order to one of its pilots by Amazon, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The episode stars House of Cards fame Rachel Brosnahan as Miriam “Midge” Maisel, a 1958 New York City housewife, who through a series of events, ends up exploring the world of stand-up comedy.

The series, which also features Alex Borstein and Tony Shalhoub, is the first new venture for Sherman-Palladino following Netflix's Gilmore Girls revival.

The episode count for the show is currently unknown and a premiere date is yet to be finalised.

China on Wednesday warned India that the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh will have “negative impact” on the settlement of the border dispute and accused New Delhi of violating its commitment on the Tibet issue.

Chinese foreign ministry also said Beijing will take “further action” to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and slammed the “provocative” statements of the Tibetan spiritual leader and Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, who had said that the state only shares its border with Tibet, and not with China.

In the strongest comments since April 4, when the Dalai Lama began his visit to Arunachal Pradesh, which China claims as Southern Tibet, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said their “provocative” statements “exceeded the scope of religious activities” as stated by India.

Lu said despite China's objection, India insisted on arranging the Dalai Lama's visit “in the disputed areas of the eastern section of the China-India boundary”. He also said the “some specific Indian official” had indulged in provocative political statement but did not name Pema Khandu.

“It shows that the activity by the 14th Dalai Lama already exceeded so called scope of religious activities claimed by the Indian side,” Lu said.

“What India has done is violated the solemn commitment on Tibet-related issues and it also has negative impact on proper settlement of the territorial disputes between the two side through negotiations,” it said.

“China has lodged representations with the Indian side (and) we will take further action to safeguard the territorial sovereignty and national security,” he said without elaborating what measures Beijing would take.
Lu said the Dalai Lama's “disgraceful performance” will “have negative impact on proper settlement of the territorial dispute between India and China.”

China is opposed to the Dalai Lama's visit to Arunachal Pradesh, particularly Tawang, which it considers as Southern Tibet. Its media and foreign ministry has repeatedly aired its opposition to the Tibetan Buddhist leader's visit to the region.

The makers of Baahubali 2: The Conclusion have locked Cinestaan AA Distributors to release the Hindi version of the cinematic spectacle in the US, Britain, Australia and New Zealand markets.

Cinestaan AA Distributors is a joint venture between Cinestaan Film Company and AA Films. Officials are delighted that the movie's makers have reposed confidence in them and given them the opportunity to distribute this landmark film, read a statement.

Directed by S.S. Rajamouli and produced by Shobu Yarlagadda and Prasad Devineni, the much-awaited sequel to Baahubali: The Beginning, will have a worldwide release on 28 April.

Starring Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty and Tamannaah Bhatia, it is said to be the first Indian film to be released in 4K High Definition format, the statement read.

Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh believes defending champions India have the strength, ability and stability to retain the Champions Trophy in June.

“India is the defending champion, and I sincerely believe that we have the strength, ability and stability to defend our crown. We just need to be at the top of our game,” Harbhajan said in a column.

“Let's not forget that this tournament will feature the world's eight top-ranked teams. So every team is going to fancy its chances. It will come down to the team that holds its nerve on the day.

“If you ask me to stick my neck out and predict the winner, I will happily say India. Yes, I believe this team can defend the title it won in 2013.”

The 36-year-old, who is currently playing in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, feels India will need to quickly adapt to the conditions in England.

“On a high after a successful home season, India will be keen on adapting quickly to the conditions in England. If we can touch base a few days before the start of the tournament, then it will help us acclimatise,” he wrote.

“The weather and pitch conditions in England are unique, and a few days of tune-up will only help.”
The ninth edition of the tournament will be played from June 1 to 18 in England and Wales and Harbhajan said it will be more important this year considering that the 2019 World Cup will be held in similar conditions.

“This year, the ICC Champions Trophy assumes extra significance because the World Cup is just two years away, and will be played in the same conditions.”

Harbhajan reckons that a global event such as Champions Trophy will be a test of the hard work put by the teams in the last four years.

“In bilateral ties, you win some and you lose some. However, tournaments like these literally define the two, three or four years that you may have invested in the process of team building, defining clear-cut roles and formulating team strategies,” he wrote.

“You know you are competing with the best teams. And, the format of the tournament is such that you have to push your limits and play at the highest level. When you give your best at a global event, the victory cake tastes even sweeter.

“Needless to say, the number of global events you win define you as a team, or even as a cricketing nation. It becomes the yardstick of sustained excellence.”

Haryana Staff Selection Commission has announced the HSSC 2017 Patwari recruitment exam results on the official website i.e. www.hssc.gov.in.
Candidates trying to get their HSSC exam results 2017 have to visit the official website and fill the blank space with the required information including roll number, registration number and other required information to get the results.

HSSC 2017 examination took place across the examination centers on May 1, 2016 and thousands of candidates applied for the examination.

Candidates, who had successfully passed the HHSC 2017 examination have to get ready for the documentation process which will start from April 27. 

Due to the huge number of visitors on the HSSC patwari recruitment exam result website candidates may face technical issues in getting their exam results. So the candidates are advised to stay calm and refresh the result website in a short interval of time.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has said the Congress should take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to protect the nation.

Noting that only the Congress can take on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, Sangma told reporters here on Tuesday: "What is important is to protect the interests of the people and the nation as a whole. I am afraid if Congress does not take on BJP more aggressively, there will be no other political party that can stop it."

"If Congress becomes weak, the BJP will become strong," he added.

"All those trial balloons indulged by fringe elements, including the RSS, are dangerous indications. It is time for people to be blunt and frank and express their concern," he said.

At the same time, the veteran Congress leader said that the party is firm and ready to defend the future of India.

"We should not lose focus. One after another, the hidden agenda of the BJP has come out. We should be able to properly articulate, create a citizenry that is alert and ready to defend the future of this nation. That itself is enough," Sangma said.

This is one book that is certain to appeal to the senses of both collectors as well as photography enthusiasts.

One of India's best known contemporary photographers, Raghu Rai, shares his best images of Saint Teresa and expounds in substantial detail, his memories and observations of the godly figure.

Raghu Rai photographed her for nearly five decades, from the early 1970s onwards and has taken some of the most iconic pictures of Saint Teresa that exist. He was present at the canonization ceremony in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican and the pictures he took there complete this pictorial biography. 

The photographer first went to meet her in the 1970s for a feature story for Junior Statesman. Later he wanted to do his own book of pictures on her but was unsure for two reasons: one, he was a male and two, he was not a Christian. 

But things fell in place and he was granted the permission to capture her portraits. 

Divided into three sections, the book covers Mother Teresa's canonization, her life and her work and the legacy she leaves behind. Bringing together pictures that have never been published before as well as classical portraits and action studies this book is an extraordinary celebration of a latter-day saint. 

A small plane with several people on board lost contact on Wednesday in Papua province of eastern Indonesia and a search operation was underway, the Indonesian Transport Ministry said.

"The cargo plane lost contact today (Wednesday). Now we are checking the number of crew," Transport Ministry spokesman JA Barata told Xinhua by phone.

Marsudi, a spokesman of the national search and rescue office, said the C208 Caravan plane was en route to Wajo and Sentani.

It departed at 2.45 pm (local time) and was scheduled to arrive at 3:24 pm.

"The plane sent S.O.S. message during the flight," Marsudi said.

"Search and rescue for the plane is underway now, involving a plane and personnel from local search and rescue office. But the weather seems unfavourable," he said.

Aircel on Wednesday announced free incoming calls on national roaming.

"Aircel customers will enjoy free incoming calls on roaming without any extra charges on Aircel network across the country. Aircel customers need to dial in *121*909# to activate free incoming calls while roaming on Aircel networks," the company said in a statement here.

"We are delighted to announce free incoming calls on roaming for all our customers which will help them stay seamlessly connected and speak long hours with their loved ones even on roaming," said Anupam Vasudev, Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel.

"We want to ensure that our customers not only enjoy economical propositions but also the benefits of staying with us," he said.

Xiaomi has finally revealed the launch date of its MI 6 series and released a teaser of the smartphone on its China website. The official launch date is 19 April and Xiaomi will be announcing the price of the MI 6 on that date.

But what are the features that you can expect in the new MI 6? Here’s all you should know about the Xiaomi MI 6:

Continuing its minimisation trend, Xiaomi MI 6 could have one of the most compact screen bezels at 5.15 inches. But that is not the big story. The highlight of the MI6 is the Snapdragon 835. The phone is expected to run on Android OS, v7.1.1 (Nougat).

On the Camera front, you can expect a 12 mp camera with phase detection autofocus. Of course, it can detect your smile and has an in-built geo-tagging feature. The Secondary camera is 8 mp.

In terms of memory, Xiaomi MI 6 will be launched in 64GB storage and 4 GB of RAM.

The smartphone could have the usual sound effects with a loudspeaker and a 3.5mm jack. Additionally it could have a noise cancellation system with a dedicated mic.

Among its sensors, Xiaomi MI 6 should boast a Fingerprint, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass and barometer.

The best part is that the Xiaomi Mi 6 could come in five colours – Silver, Gray,Gold, Rose and Gold!

The apex court's order regarding compensatory tariff for Tata Power in view of higher coal prices is credit negative, but does not impact its Ba3 rating, Moody's said on Wednesday.

“The Supreme Court's decision is credit negative, but does not impact TPC's Ba3 rating,” said Moody's Investors Service in a release on Wednesday.

On April 11, the Supreme Court set aside the earlier order of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (ATE) which allowed relief to Tata Power Company's 100 per cent-owned subsidiary, Coastal Gujarat Power (CGPL, unrated), under the force majeure clause as per the power purchase agreement (PPA). CGPL accounts for 38 per cent of TPC's total installed generation capacity of 10,477 MW as of March 2017.

Its 4 GW Mundra ultra mega power plant (UMPP) relies mainly on imported coal, mostly sourced from Indonesia.

The project's profitability has been impacted by the Indonesian government's decision in September 2011 to make coal available at market rates.

In the judgment, the Supreme Court has clarified that changes in the cost of fuel or the agreement becoming onerous to perform are not treated as force majeure events under the PPA.

The Supreme Court has directed CERC to hear the matter afresh and determine the amount of relief which should be granted to power generators who have been impacted by “domestic change in law” as per clause 13 of the PPA.

In 2015-16, CGPL reported an Ebitda of Rs.11.6 billion, up 31 per cent from last year.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday said strong action will be taken against those whipping up violence in the name of religion.

Patnaik visited the violence-hit Bhadrak town and reviewed the situation with senior officials. He also inspected several areas where violence took place last week following derogatory remarks on Hindu gods posted on social media.

"All accused persons responsible for the violent incidents will be punished as per the law. Further, our state government will take strong steps to counter the divisive forces creating discord and violence in the name of religion," the chief minister told the media.

He said appropriate compensation will be provided to those having suffered loss in the communal violence.

He ordered the district administration to assess the loss in three days and rehabilitate the affected shopkeepers by opening vending zones soon.

Meanwhile, internet and bus services in the town have been restored and normalcy is gradually returning to the town. Educational institutions and other establishments in the town re-opened.

The district administration also relaxed the curfew for nine hours from 7 am to 4 pm.

The cyber cell of the Odisha Police Crime Branch identified and interrogated five persons for circulating rumours and objectionable materials on social media, which led to violence in the town.

Crime Branch Special Director General BK Sharma said all the five persons belong to Bhadrak.