Knowledge Update

​London, Feb 28 (IANS) In a first, researchers have found evidence of planetary debris surrounding a double sun that resembles Tatooine -- Luke Skywalker's home world in the "Star Wars" film.

A scene in "Star Wars", where Skywalker looks at the horizon with the setting of two suns is regarded as one of the most iconic images in cinema.

In a study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the researchers described the remains of shattered asteroids orbiting a double sun consisting of a white dwarf and a brown dwarf roughly 1000 light-years away in a system called SDSS 1557.

The debris appears to be rocky and suggests that terrestrial planets like Tatooine might exist in the system, according to the researchers.

"With the discovery of asteroid debris in the SDSS 1557 system, we see clear signatures of rocky planet assembly via large asteroids that formed, helping us understand how rocky exoplanets are made in double star systems," said lead study author Jay Farihi from University College London.

To date, all exoplanets discovered in orbit around double stars are gas giants, similar to Jupiter, and are thought to form in the icy regions of their systems.

In contrast to the carbon-rich icy material found in other double star systems, the planetary material identified in the SDSS 1557 system has a high metal content, including silicon and magnesium. 

These elements were identified as the debris flowed from its orbit onto the surface of the star, polluting it temporarily with at least 1.1 trillion tonnes of matter, equating it to an asteroid at least four km in size.

"Building rocky planets around two suns is a challenge because the gravity of both stars can push and pull tremendously, preventing bits of rock and dust from sticking together and growing into full-fledged planets," Farihi said.

The team studied the binary system and the chemical composition of the debris by measuring the absorption of different wavelengths of light or 'spectra', using the Gemini Observatory South telescope and the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope, both located in Chile.

​New York, Feb 27 (IANS) Paying attention to overnight returns -- between the time the stock market closes and re-opens the next day -- may help investors develop profitable trading strategies, according to a new study.

​Beijing, Feb 27 (IANS) China on Monday said its domestic railway railway system is expected to grow by 30,000 kilometres before 2020.

Minister of Transport Li Xiaopeng said one-third of the increased network will consist of high-speed rail, People's Daily reported.

​Barcelona, Feb 27 (IANS) At the ongoing Mobile World Congress here, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) on Monday announced that it was working with Tata Communications to support the rollout of India's first LoRaWAN (LoRa)-based network.

​Beijing, Feb 27 (IANS) The amount of smuggled ivory tracked down in China fell 80 percent in 2016 from previous peak years, China's forest department has said.

Liu Dongsheng, deputy head of the State Forestry Administration, made the remarks at the opening ceremony of a wildlife protection campaign, without specifying detailed

​Barcelona, Feb 27 (IANS) Extending its tablet portfolio, South Korean tech giant Samsung unveiled two new tablets -- Galaxy Tab S3 and Galaxy Book --- at Mobile World Congress (MWC) here featuring HDR, S Pen and Samsung Flow. On March 29, Samsung Electronics will unveil the newest Galaxy as part of its endeavor to unbox your phone, the company teased in an invite on Sunday. Running on Android 7.0 operating system, the Galaxy Tab S3 comes with a 9.7-inch Super AMOLED display and the Galaxy Book is offered in a 10.6-inch TFT LCD version and 12-inch Super AMOLED version and runs on Windows 10. "At Samsung, we are committed to expanding the boundaries of the mobile and computing experience by providing best-in-class products that satisfy mobile users' diverse needs and demands," DJ Koh, President of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics, told reporters here. For a safe and secure login, Samsung Flow uses biometric authentication to log-in and can wirelessly tether compatible devices to transfer documents from a mobile device to a tablet. The S Pen includes convenient features such as "Screen Off Memo" to quickly jot down notes, PDF annotation for easy editing and professional-level drawing with advanced drawing tools. The Galaxy Tab S3 is the first Samsung tablet to feature quad-stereo speakers tuned by AKG by HARMAN. Both tablets include 13MP rear camera which includes auto-focus and a 5MP front camera and supports up to 12 hours of video playback on the Galaxy Tab S3 and up to 10.5 hours of video playback on the Samsung Book (12-inch). Both devices also support Pogo keyboards with no separate charging or pairing required. The Samsung Galaxy Book 12-inch is equipped with a 7th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, dual core 3.1GHz and the 10.6-inch with an Intel Core m3 processor, dual core 2.6GHz. Samsung also announced the Gear VR with Controller powered by Oculus, the company's first-ever Gear VR headset with a controller. The Gear VR with Controller expands Samsung's virtual reality ecosystem and makes it easier for consumers to enjoy Gear VR experiences.

​Barcelona, Feb 27 (IANS) China's Lenovo Moto launched its new mobile devices Moto G5 and Moto G5 Plus at Mobile World Congress (MWC), the world's largest mobile industry event being held in Barcelona. Moto G5 has a 2,800 mAh battery offering up to 24 hours of battery life. Moreover, users can be always connected thanks to its rapid charging, which enables hours of battery with only a few minutes of charge, Xinhua news agency reported. With a Snapdragon 430 processor, the Moto G5 has a 13 MP rear camera with autofocus software and a 5-inch screen with Full HD resolution. The Moto G5 Plus has a 3,000 mAh battery, also offering up to 24 hours of battery life, which thanks to its TurboPower charger can be extended up to six hours of extra time in just 15 minutes. With a 5.2-inch screen, the Moto G5 Plus has a rear camera with 12 MP with dual autofocus pixels, 5 MP front camera and a Snapdragon 625 processor. The company said the Moto G5 Plus device will hit the market in the second quarter of 2017, while the Moto G5 will be available in late March in two different models with 2GB RAM or 3GB RAM. On Sunday, several companies presented their new devices on the eve of the official opening of the MWC, which is expected to gather 2,200 exhibitors, 101,000 trade visitors from 200 countries and regions.

​Barcelona, Feb 27 (IANS) Seventeen years after its debut, the much-awaited Nokia 3310 has been relaunched in an all new revamped look featuring a colour screen at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) here. The device, to be sold under licence by the Finnish start-up HMD Global, is available in four distinctive colours - gloss-finished warm red and yellow, and a matte-finished dark blue and grey. It will cost buyers only 49 Euros ($52) and will be available from the second quarter of this year. Considered as iconic because of its popularity and sturdiness, Nokia sold more than 126 million devices before it was phased out in 2005. "Our efforts in bringing together world class manufacturers, operating systems and technology partners sees us proudly unveiling our first global portfolio of smartphones with a Nokia soul, delivering the very best experience to everyone," Arto Nummela, CEO of HMD Global, said in a statement. Having a 2.4-inch display, the new Nokia 3310 qualifies as a "feature phone" rather than a smartphone as it only provides limited internet facilities. It relies on 2.5G connectivity and is powered by the S30+ operating system. With 1,200mAh battery, the device offers a 22 hours of talk time and has up to a month's standby time. The battery of the new device is removable, like its older version. However, the 2017 model is rechargeable through a microUSB port. Its single camera is also restricted to 2MP. According to HMD Global, which owns the rights to the Nokia brand, the device also comes with the modern version of the classic game Snake pre-installed. The device will power through up to 51 hours of MP3 playback too, as well as up to 39 hours of FM radio playback. "What HMD has created is remarkable. We're excited to see the launch of a new family of smartphones, built to the standards that Nokia is known for." "We believe that their strong design and quality will appeal to Nokia fans around the world and the return of the Nokia 3310 has us smiling too!" Brad Rodrigues, interim President of Nokia Technologies, added. HMD also confirmed the Nokia 6 Android smartphone would be released worldwide following its China debut in January. The device has a 16MP rear camera and a 5.5-inch 1080p display. The new range of Nokia smartphones run on Android Nougat OS and offer a pure and secure experience with an all-feature Google Assistant. The unibody of the Nokia 6 is crafted from a single block of 6000 series aluminium. The smart audio amplifier with dual speakers allow consumers to experience a deeper bass and clarity, whilst Dolby Atmos sound delivers a powerfully moving entertainment experience. Available in four colours - Matte Black, Silver, Tempered Blue and Copper - the Nokia 6 will retail at an average global retail price of 229 Euros ($242). With 64GB storage and 4GB RAM, Nokia also unveiled Nokia 6 Arte Black Limited Edition available for retail price of 299 Euros ($315). In addition, the firm showed off smaller, lower-range Nokia 5 and Nokia 3 models. Nokia 5 has a Corning Gorilla Glass laminated 5.2-inch IPS HD display. It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor and is available in four colours -- Matte Black, Silver, Tempered Blue and Copper. It is priced at 189 euros ($199). The Nokia 3 has a Corning Gorilla Glass laminated 5-inch display and 8MP wide aperture front and back cameras. Available in four distinctive colours -- silver white, matte black, tempered blue and copper white - the Nokia 3 will retail at an average global retail price of 139 euros ($146).

​Phnom Penh, Feb 27 (IANS) Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Monday announced that the country's tourism sector earned $3.4 billion in 2016.

The Southeast Asian nation attracted 5 million international visitors last year, a 5 per cent rise year-on-year, according to a tourism data, Xinhua news agency reported. 

"We predict that Cambodia will welcome 5.4 million foreigners in 2017 and up to 7 million in 2020 with estimated revenue of $5 billion," Hun Sen said. 

He said that tourism industry currently provides some 620,000 direct jobs and the number of jobs will reach 1 million in 2020.

According to the Prime Minister, the country's peace and political stability were the prerequisites for the attraction of tourists.

"Tourists will not risk their lives to visit dangerous or war zones...so maintaining peace and political stability and preventing terrorism from happening in Cambodia are very important," he said, vowing to maintain the country's peace "at any cost".

Cambodia is famous for the 12th century Angkor Archeological Park in Siem Reap province. 

Besides, it has a 450-km pristine coastline stretching across four provinces in the country's southwestern part.

A constitutional description of public office is a public trust where public officers and employees commonly known as civil servants and public officials must be at all times. These civil servants and public officials are accountable to the people, whom they should serve with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency. They are expected to act with patriotism and provide fair justice as well as lead a role of living modest lives.