Giant volcanic rock raft found in Pacific Ocean
Canberra: A vast “raft” of volcanic rocks stretching over 150 sq.km has been found drifting through the Pacific Ocean, scientists said on Monday. The sea of pumice – the size of 20,000 football fields – was first reported by Australian sailors earlier this month, the BBC reported. Pumice is a lightweight, bubble-rich rock that can float in water. It is produced when magma is cooled rapidly. Experts have said that the mass likely came from an underwater volcano near Tonga which erupted around August 7 according to satellite images. An Australian couple sailing their catamaran to Fiji were the first to report the “pumice raft”, after inadvertently entering the rubble at night. They have since sent samples of the pumice stone – which range “from marble to basketball size” – to researchers at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia. The pumice is currently drifting westwards towards Fiji, and is likely to pass New Caledonia and Vanuatu before potentially reaching Australia in a year’s time. (IANS)
Belgian festival draws criticism over blackface character
ATH: Hundreds of spectators cheered and applauded as the chief protagonist of a Belgian parade – “the Savage” – appeared in the town of Ath on Sunday, but anti-racism groups strongly criticised the character and his blackface disguise. The folk festival called Ducasse d’Ath, which traces its roots back to the 16th century and is endorsed by UNESCO as a cultural heritage, takes place every August in the small town about 60 km (40 miles) west of Brussels. “This character has all the degrading attributes that black people are given in the racist imagery of our societies,” said Mouhad Reghif, a spokesman for anti-racism group Brussels Panthers.The group sponsored a petition this month, saying the blackface character insulted and mocked black people, and demanding that UNESCO withdraw its recognition. (Reuters)
Thieves decamp with ‘extra-secure’ Tesla car
London: In a daring attempt, thieves stole an ultra-secure Tesla Model S electric car in London with a key fob attack in less than 30 seconds and the owner did not even get a clue. The car, valued at over 90,000 pounds, was stolen using a keyless hack — now being used frequently to steal vehicles — but Tesla was an exception which has extra layers of security with “improved cryptography” key fob and an optional “PIN to Drive” feature. According to The Verge, the camera installed in the driveway captured the theft. “Using a tablet and a phone in tandem, the thieves eventually intercepted the frequency used by the Tesla owner’s key fob, even though it was ‘at the back of the house’, according to the owner”. The thieves then relay that signal to the car, tricking it into thinking that the owner was using the key fob to get in and drive. (IANS)