Woman in Russia gives birth to four identical girls/Image: RT

A rare and medically significant birth has been reported in St. Petersburg, where a woman gave birth to four identical baby girls, the first such case officially recorded in Russia.The delivery, which took place at a maternity hospital in the city, has attracted attention because of its extreme rarity. Medical estimates suggest that monochorionic, or identical, quadruplets occur in approximately one in 15.5 million births. Globally, only 15 such cases have been recorded.All four babies were born in the 32nd week of pregnancy and their condition is said to be stable. His birth weight was between 1,360 g and 1,640 g, and his length was between 37 cm and 41 cm. Doctors have described these figures as strong for babies born at this stage.In a statement shared by the hospital on Russian social media platforms VKontakte“Four charming sisters were born at 32 weeks. According to estimates, monochorionic (identical) quadruplets occur once in 15.5 million births. Such a unique birth has not been reported in the country,” the team said.What makes matters especially complicated is that all four babies developed from the same fertilized egg and shared the same placenta, a condition known as a monochorionic pregnancy. In most multiple pregnancies, each baby has a separate placenta. Doctors say the risk is higher in such cases and constant monitoring is required.“For a pregnancy of 32 weeks, this is an excellent outcome, made possible due to proper management of the mother and expertise of the doctors in the antenatal department,” the hospital said.The delivery required the coordinated effort of a large medical team, including obstetricians, anesthesiologists, intensive care specialists, midwives, and neonatologists. Each baby was immediately attended to by neonatologists and specialized nurses to ensure proper care from the first moment after birth.According to the hospital, the process was led by the chief physician, Professor Anton Mikhailov, as well as a team of specialists from the antenatal department and the obstetric unit. The operation was described as highly complex, requiring complete precision and teamwork.Doctors explained that identical, or monozygotic, pregnancies occur when a single fertilized egg splits into multiple embryos, resulting in children with identical genetic makeup and the same sex. There is no known way to predict or prevent such events.The case is now seen as a milestone in Russian medical practice, highlighting both the rarity of the occurrence and the level of care required to successfully manage such a high-risk pregnancy.

Cambodia has erected a statue to commemorate Magava, the African giant pouched rat famous for its remarkable olfactory skills and life-saving work. The memorial was unveiled in Siem Reap on April 3, 2026. During five years of dedicated service as HeroRAT, Magawa detected more than 100 landmines and unexploded ordnance and cleared more than 141,000 square meters of land. Their training allowed them to ignore the scrap metal and focus only on the faint smell of explosives, resulting in landmine clearance that was safer and quicker than traditional methods.By erecting a sandstone statue of Magwa in Siem Reap, Cambodia is honoring both animal intelligence and the human effort to remove landmines from the landscape. The story of this small rodent is testament to the innovative ways in which non-technical methods of mining have helped restore safe living conditions to communities affected by conflict and war.

The record-breaking career of Cambodia’s landmine-sniffing rat Magwa

Siem Reap has erected a permanent sandstone monument to the memory of Magwa, whose unique contribution to humanitarian devastation makes him a true hero in the eyes of the community. Trained as a HERORAT by APOPO, a permanent organization, Magawa was the most accomplished HERORAT in APOPO’s history, successfully identifying 71 landmines and 38 items of unexploded ordnance (UXO) during his tenure, while releasing land equivalent to 20 football fields back to the community.

Why might Magawa ignore scrap metal?

Magawa’s operational efficiency over time was unprecedented; It can clear an area the size of a tennis court in as little as 20 minutes (compared to a human using a metal detector who typically takes 4 days to complete the same task). Chrysetomys ansorgei (African giant pouched rat) was chosen to detect mines due to the presence of specific physiological and behavioral characteristics identified through veterinary research studies. Scientific studies confirm that these rats have a highly sensitive olfactory system capable of detecting minute concentrations of explosive vapor, allowing them to ignore scrap metal and simply detect the presence of TNT. Their low body mass enables them to safely cross pressure-activated landmines without triggering the pressure-sensitive detonators, allowing them to make straight land crossings that would kill either a human deminer or a large detection animal such as a dog.

Why is biological identification the fastest path to security?

Magawa’s work was a humanitarian effort that complied with an extensive list of rules from the International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) global safety protocol. IMAS integrates animal detection systems into technical surveys so that officials can return land to communities for agriculture and habitation with a high level of confidence.Because these rats are trained to smell explosives, they produce fewer false alarms than traditional sensors. This, in turn, accelerates the entire process of reclaiming land for families displaced by the conflict.

The first rat to receive this honor from PDSA

Magawa’s contributions were acknowledged worldwide in 2020, marking a watershed moment for animal detection systems in international security. He made history as the first rat in the 77-year existence of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) to be awarded a gold medal – an honor similar to the George Cross for animals.

Indian woman on visit visa dies in Sharjah/Image: Getty Images

The body of a 31-year-old Indian woman who died in Sharjah was sent back home almost a month later, following a delay caused by financial struggles and lack of support, according to a Gulf News report.The woman named SKJ was a resident of Kerala and was the mother of three children aged 10, eight and five. He had traveled to the UAE on a visit visa and died in a hospital in Sharjah on 7 March.According to the Indian Consulate in Dubai, he died due to hypovolemic shock followed by internal bleeding which led to cardiorespiratory arrest.Her husband, who works as a daily wage laborer in Kerala, told Gulf News that she was admitted to hospital on February 27 after consuming a corrosive substance. He said the incident occurred following a dispute with a friend, following which he drank disinfectant liquid cleaner.He also shared that SKJ previously worked in a daycare center in the UAE for a few years. Talking about her last home visit, he said, “She came home and stayed with us for about two months. Then she went back saying that some people there owed her money. She also promised to find a job and bring me and the children.”She went back to UAE just a day before Ramzan. She kept in touch with her children even when she was in the hospital. “She also helped teach English to children from the hospital,” her husband said.Since she was on a travel visa, there was no company responsible for supporting the family after her death. Her husband said that it was difficult to arrange a return home due to financial problems. He said, “When I checked the ticket rates, they were skyrocketing. I have no one to help me. My brother is building a house with donations from people in our area. My father recently had a stroke and is paralyzed on one side.”She also talked about the emotional toll it has taken on the family, saying, “My youngest doesn’t know yet.”The process eventually took off after he reached out to Kerala opposition leader VD Satheesan, who connected him with people who could help. Following this recommendation, a Sharjah-based firm came forward to assist.Salam Pappinissery, CEO of YAB Legal Services, told Gulf News, “After the legal processes were completed, there was no company to take responsibility because she was on a visit visa and the family did not have money to bring back the body, which is why there was a delay. My firm helped with the paperwork and financed the repatriation.”His mortal remains were brought to Cochin International Airport from Sharjah International Airport late on Monday night, ending a long and arduous wait for the family.

NASAThe Artemis 2 mission has achieved another difficult milestone by restoring essential communications with mission control after dark about 40 minutes ago. As the Orion spacecraft passed behind the far side of the Moon, radio communications were completely lost due to the Moon blocking it. This ‘loss of signal’ (LOS) time was a true test of both the crew’s ability to act independently and the spacecraft’s automated systems. The crew reestablished contact with Mission Control at 7:24 pm (EDT) Eastern Daylight Time on April 6, 2026, and reported that all systems were performing as expected. This is the longest distance traveled by humans in deep space, and it also lays the groundwork for the mission’s return.

NASA’s orion Moon goes silent before seeing rare total solar eclipse

According to NASA, at 6:44 pm EDT on April 6, 2026, Orion moved behind the moon (blocking signals from NASA’s Deep Space Network), causing a communications blackout. Orion then made its first close flyby of the Moon at 7:02 p.m. EDT, flying just 4,067 miles above the Moon’s surface. After restoring communications with the spacecraft, the Artemis II mission entered its unique solar eclipse phase at 8:35 PM EDT, where the crew experienced a total solar eclipse (where the Moon completely covers the Sun) for 53 minutes from the perspective of Orion, giving them the opportunity to study the solar corona (the outer atmosphere of the Sun) without the interference of direct sunlight.

Orion surpasses historic deep space record

At 7:07 PM EDT, the Artemis II crew officially broke the record for the previous distance traveled by humans from Earth. Orion reached its maximum distance from Earth at 252,756 miles and was 4,111 miles further than the Apollo 13 crew, which set out in April 1970, at 248,655 miles. Artemis II achieved this milestone while its crew was conducting high-altitude lunar observations (collecting data on the Moon’s minerals and geology) using high-resolution imagery.

NASA is preparing for the April 10 splashdown

When Orion lifted off above the Moon at 7:25 p.m. EDT, the astronauts saw a beautiful ‘Earthrise’ as Mission Control received the signal from Orion. Over seven hours, the crew was able to use this observation period to visually confirm and record various parts of the Moon, such as the Orientale Basin and the Hertzsprung Basin. The spacecraft is now on a free-return trajectory, which uses the gravity of Earth and the moon to send the crew back to the Pacific Ocean for a splashdown on April 10.

How NASA and the US Navy will retrieve Orion

NASA and the US Navy have begun the mission recovery phase to bring the crew home safely. USS John P. Murtha, a San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship, has departed Naval Base San Diego to arrive at a designated recovery area. The ship has specialized equipment, including a recovery cradle, high-speed boats and other equipment, specifically designed to retrieve the Orion capsule from the open ocean. NASA’s Exploration Ground System team is on board to coordinate the ‘open ocean recovery’ operation.Currently, Mission Control is waiting for the exact time of splashdown. The planned splashdown time is April 10 at 8:07 PM EDT (5:07 PM PDT). The planned location of the splashdown is also in the Pacific Ocean, about 60 miles off San Diego, California. At the time of splashdown, Navy divers will secure the capsule using a ‘horsecollar’ to stabilize it before maneuvering the capsule into the flooded well deck of the USS John P. Murtha. This process allows coordinated recovery operations, which will allow safe recovery of the astronauts and return of the spacecraft for post-flight analysis.

Located in the Fleming Fjord Formation of eastern Greenland, recently identified 210-million-year-old lungfish burrows provide valuable information about the fluctuating nature of the Late Triassic climate in ancient Greenland. Fossil burrows indicate that lungfish had a strategy of surviving seasonal drought in Late Triassic Greenland by digging into the soil through a biological process called ‘aestivation’, waiting for the environment to become hospitable again.This research, published on ResearchGate, expands our understanding (or lack thereof) of the Norian-Rhaetian transitional periods, revealing that environmental stress – not lush ecosystems – defined these ecosystems during the Late Triassic period. Geologists and paleontologists are reconstructing the ancient world from these ‘holes’ in the rock, where animals retreated to survive beneath the Earth’s surface.

Greenland burrows reveal survival of lungfish 210 million years ago

Researchers discovered ‘trace fossils’ created by lungfish (cylindrical structures) in sedimentary layers deposited in ancient lake valleys as a result of the geological processes of the Fleming Fjord Formation. Unlike body fossils, which record an organism’s form and appearance, these burrows document an organism’s actual behavior, specifically the behavior of burrowing into the substrate to avoid dehydration about 210 million years ago.

210 million year old mystery of Greenland’s fish

The discovery of these burrows provides evidence that Triassic period lungfish were able to enter a stage of dormancy (known as aestivation) as a method of coping with the conditions of their environment. This physiological response enabled the lungfish to survive in the intermittent lake; That is, these fish could survive in a lake that was subject to the drying up of water sources as a result of the Pangean megamonsoonal cycles.

What mudstone burrows tell us about Greenland’s continental drift

According to the book ‘Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) Bulletin’, the layers in which these burrow holes occur are composed of mudstone and siltstone; They maintained the shape of the cavities from the time the soil was deposited until it hardened. These types of structures are important for researchers to understand how Pangea moved from one place to another and where Greenland was on Earth during this time period.

How Greenland’s tiny holes reshaped Triassic climate models

Furthermore, these ‘small holes’ act as climate proxies to indicate precipitation fluctuations at higher amplitudes. Data published in research at NCBI shows that Triassic high-latitude regions were significantly more thermally elevated than previous estimates. Also, they were drier than current models. This suggests that the high-latitude region was quite different from what current models suggest with respect to past atmospheric and climate conditions.

Screenshot of video published by IDF

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released footage of warplanes flying strikes on airfields and airports in Tehran, in what it described as a “massive overnight airstrike” targeting Iran’s air assets.“Killed: a number of air assets, including aircraft and helicopters, as well as additional military infrastructure at Tehran’s three airports – Bahram, Mehrabad and Azmayesh. Mehrabad airport was used by the IRGC’s Quds Force and served as a central hub for arming and financing the regime’s terrorist proxies in the Middle East,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a post on X, of the operation. Sharing a video of fighter planes taking off.According to the IDF, the operation was conducted under the guidance of the IDF’s Military Intelligence and Intelligence Directorate.Mehrabad airport has been attacked “several times”, particularly during Operation Roaring Lion, the IDF said, referring to its ongoing military campaign against Iran. Israel’s ally, the United States – which joined the attacks against the Islamic Republic on February 28, sparking the wider Middle East conflict – refers to the campaign as Operation Epic Fury.Calling the strikes a significant blow, the Israeli military said, “The overall strikes have deepened the damage done to the Iranian terrorist regime’s air capabilities.”

Netanyahu warns Israel’s ‘adversaries’

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a stern warning to his country’s “adversaries” after the IDF announced that Major General Majid Khadimi, the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) intelligence organization and a senior commander of Unit 840 of the elite Quds Force, were killed in strikes targeting Tehran.In a post on Twitter, Netanyahu praised the military’s operations and warned of “severe consequences” for those trying to harm Israel or its citizens, warning against efforts by what he described as the Iranian “axis of evil.”“Whoever acts to murder our citizens, whoever directs terror against the State of Israel, whoever creates the Iranian axis of evil – their blood is on their heads. We are acting with strength and determination – we will reach out to everyone who seeks to harm us. We will continue to operate with full force on all fronts, until the threat is eliminated and all objectives of the war are achieved.”(With ANI inputs)

After spending more than four decades in prison and repeatedly avoiding deportation for a murder conviction that was later overturned, Indian-born Subramaniam “Subu” Vedam has won a landmark legal battle to remain in the United States.A US immigration judge has ruled that Vedam, 64, can remain in the country, rejecting efforts by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deport him. The decision comes after a hearing in which the court found that Vedam had demonstrated rehabilitation and did not pose any threat to the public.Judge Adam Panopoulos said Vedam “has grown as a person” and “has begun to dedicate himself to enriching other people’s lives, and ultimately his own, through academic study and enrichment”. The judge said that allowing him to remain “would be in the best interests of the United States”.Vedam was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last year when he was about to be released from prison after serving a murder sentence. He spent more than 40 years behind bars for the 1980 murder of Thomas Kinser in Pennsylvania, a crime he has consistently denied.During a hearing, Vedam told the court, “I was young and stupid and I did a lot of stupid things.” He stated that he was innocent of the murder charge and said, “I have never stopped saying that I am innocent of this charge.”Even though the murder charge was acquitted, Vedam still faced deportation due to separate drug-related convictions from his younger years. As a teenager, he pleaded no contest to selling LSD, which authorities said made him eligible for deportation.At the hearing, a DHS attorney argued that Vedam should still be deported, pointing to past crimes including drug distribution, DUI and theft. But the court took Vedam’s side. His conduct over the decades in prison, his efforts in education and guidance, were all taken into account. Vedam earned several degrees, helped improve literacy among prisoners, and built strong relationships with his family.The judge said the evidence showed “genuine rehabilitation, consistent demonstration of good moral character over the past 40 years and strong family ties and communal support”.Vedam was born in Mumbai and moved to America in his childhood. He grew up in Pennsylvania, where his father worked as a physics professor. At the time of his arrest in 1982, he was close to becoming a US citizen.After the verdict, Vedam’s lawyer said that she would seek his release on bond. When released, he plans to live with relatives in California and has been offered a place in a doctoral program in applied anthropology.DHS has 30 days to appeal the decision. Till then Vedam will remain in custody.

MisterBeast hosted a massive event where 50 popular streamers competed to win $1,000,000. The prize was up to one lucky fan and the competition was very exciting. Big names like Yourraz, Rakai, Ski Mask The Slump God and El Rubius reached the final round of the event. After many challenges, YourRAGE won the $1,000,000 prize. Even though YOURRAGE won the $1,000,000 prize, Rakai created a lot of drama that people are still talking about.Rakai had made it to the later rounds and was very close to victory. However, he was reportedly eliminated by YourRAGE in a challenge. Instead of leaving quietly, Rakai became upset. They argued, shouted and refused to leave the stage. The situation became so tense that MisterBeast had to step in and call security to remove him from the show. Some reports said that it took a while for security personnel to arrive, but eventually the situation was brought under control and the competition could continue.

What happened with the Rakai and El Rubius controversy?

After the removal, Rakai also spoke about the reaction he was receiving online. He said that El Rubias’ fans and the Spanish community were trying to cancel him because he used “expressions” After eliminating El Rubius. Rakai explained that he was just playing games and trying to be a good person. This made the storyline even more popular as it was now not just about the elimination but also about how fans reacted online.Despite the fact that the million-dollar prize had already been won by YourRAGE, Rakai’s activities during and after the contest have attracted widespread attention. Clips of the incident were posted on YouTube, and there was widespread discussion on social media about the appropriateness of Rakai’s behavior in response to his defeat. This shows the level of stress in such competitions, even for professionals.In the end, the main winner was YOURRAGE, but Rakai’s play made the event more memorable. Rakai became the center of attention amid debates on stage, calls for security and online controversy. For anyone following the event, this is all the Rakai drama from MisterBeast’s $1,000,000 streamer event you need to know.