U.S. TO REVEAL SCIENTIFIC MILESTONE ON FUSION ENERGY

Washington — The U.S. Department of Energy said Sunday it would announce a "major scientific breakthrough" this week, after media reported a federal laboratory had recently achieved a major milestone in nuclear fusion research. The Financial Times reported Sunday that scientists in the California-based Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) had achieved a "net energy gain" from an experimental fusion reactor.

That would represent the first time that researchers have successfully produced more energy in a fusion reaction - the same type that powers the Sun - than was consumed during the process, a potentially major step in the pursuit of zero-carbon power.

Energy Department and LLNL spokespeople told AFP they could not comment or provide confirmation regarding the FT report, but said US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm would "announce a major scientific breakthrough" on Tuesday.

The fusion reaction that produced a 120% net energy gain occurred in the past two weeks, the FT said, citing three people with knowledge of the preliminary results.

The Washington Post later reported two people familiar with the research confirmed the development, with a senior fusion scientist telling the newspaper, "to most of us, this was only a matter of time."

Nuclear fusion is considered by some scientists to be a potential energy of the future, particularly as it produces little waste and no greenhouse gases.

Nuclear fusion happens when two or more atoms are fused into one larger one, a process that generates a massive amount of energy as heat. Unlike nuclear fission that powers electricity all over the world, it doesn’t generate long-lived radioactive waste.

Scientists across the globe have been inching toward the breakthrough, using different methods to try to achieve the same goal.

BALI SEX BAN: INDONESIA TOURISTS WON'T BE CHARGED UNDER LAW

Visitors to Bali will not be put at risk by Indonesia’s newly ratified criminal code, the island’s governor said, dismissing concerns that revised laws which include articles criminalising sex outside marriage may scare away tourists from its shores.

Indonesia’s parliament last week passed the controversial bill that also prohibits cohabitation between unmarried couples.

Seeking to reassure visitors, Bali Governor Wayan Koster in a statement on Sunday noted the new laws, which come into affect in three years, could only be prosecuted if there was a complaint by a parent, spouse or child.

Those who “visit or live in Bali would not need to worry with regard to the entry into force of the Indonesian Criminal Code”, he said.

The governor said provisions in the criminal code on this issue had been altered from an earlier, stricter version so “would provide a better guarantee of everyone’s privacy and comfortableness.”

Bali’s government would ensure “there will be no checking on marital status upon check-in at any tourism accommodation, such as hotels, villas, apartments, guest houses, lodges and spas,” Wayan said.

Bali is the centre of tourism in Indonesia and the tourism association is targeting foreign arrivals on the predominately Hindu island to reach pre-pandemic levels of six million a year by 2025.

3 KILLED IN ATTACK ON KABUL HOTEL POPULAR WITH CHINESE

At least three persons were killed when gunmen attacked a hotel popular with Chinese business people in the Afghan capital on Monday, with witnesses reporting multiple blasts and several bursts of gunfire.

Smoke could be seen pouring from the multi-storey Kabul Longan Hotel as Taliban security forces rushed to the site.

Italian non-governmental organisation Emergency NGO, which operates a hospital just 1 km from the blast site, said it had received 21 casualties, including three persons dead on arrival. It did not say if those dead were civilians or involved in the attack.

A Kabul police spokesman said three attackers were killed and one suspect arrested, blaming the assault on “mischievous elements”.

“All the guests of the hotel have been rescued and no foreigner was killed. Only two foreign guests were injured when they threw themselves from an upper storey,” chief Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid added on Twitter.

PAKISTAN PM SHARIF OFFERS OLIVE BRANCH TO IMRAN KHAN, SAYS HE IS READY TO SET DIFFERENCES ASIDE

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday offered the olive branch to his predecessor Imran Khan, saying he was ready to set aside his differences for the sake of Pakistan.

“One hundred steps can be taken forward for Pakistan. All differences can be set aside,” Mr. Sharif said while addressing a press conference here. He said Finance Minister Ishaq Dar recently met President Arif Alvi, who belonged to Mr. Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, with his permission.

Mr. Alvi’s meeting with Mr. Dar was dubbed by the media as the ruling coalition’s bid to create a communication channel with the former Prime Minister.

“We will move 100 steps forward for the country’s stability. But it takes two to tango. We have to sacrifice when nations face such a situation [as we are in],” Mr. Sharif said.

His offer of talks came after PTI once again threatened to dissolve the Assemblies of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces if a date for general election was not announced by December 20.

But while offering talks, the premier also blasted Mr. Khan by calling him “egocentric” and “fraud”. “I want to tell the people that this person (Khan) is a fraud having nothing to do with the nation’s future,” Mr. Sharif said.

BIDEN VOWS SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE IN CALL WITH ZELENSKY

U.S. President Joe Biden spoke with Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday, reiterating Washington’s strong support for the war-torn country and welcoming his counterpart’s “openness to a just peace,” the White House said.

Speaking to Mr. Zelensky over phone, Mr. Biden underscored “ongoing U.S. support for Ukraine’s defence as Russia continues its assaults on Ukraine’s critical infrastructure,” a White House statement said.

AFGHANISTAN GOVT APOLOGISED FOR BORDER FIRING INCIDENT: PAK DEFENCE MINISTER

Pakistan defence minister Khawaja Asif said on Monday that Afghanistan’s interim government has apologised over the firing incident in the border area that killed seven Pakistani civilians and injured 16 others. Addressing the issue in a National Assembly session, Asif also said that “the border security committee met again and it was agreed that Afghanistan was at fault. We believe that there was no motive behind this and there is no evidence of any planning behind the attack.” He explained that the “provocation” at Chaman border in Balochistan on Sunday “was from the Afghan side” and it began when “our people were repairing a portion of fence”. “They took the stand that the reparation work should have been referred to the border security committee…When the matter escalated, they opened fire...,” he said.

GRAFT PROBE: COPS RAID MORE EU PARLIAMENT OFFICES

Brussels : Belgian police conducted more raids at European parliament offices on Monday as the legislature’s president pledged to launch an internal probe into corruption allegations and the bloc’s top official called for the creation of an EUwide independent ethics body.

Prosecutors investigating alleged influence peddling by a Gulf country at the European parliament charged four people with corruptionand money laundering. Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili of Greece was relieved of her duties. Prosecutors declined to identify the country suspected of offering cash or gifts to parliament officials in exchange for political favours. Many members of the assembly and some Belgian media linked the probe to Qatar. Qatar’s foreign ministry denied any wrongdoing. Police conducted Monday’s raids to seize computer data belonging to 10 parliamentary assistants. Several thousand euros have also been seized. Officers have conducted 20 raids in total as part of an probe launched four months ago. EU doesn’t already have lobbying regulations.

IRAN CARRIES OUT SECOND EXECUTION OVER PROTESTS

Iran says it has publicly hanged a 23-year-old in what is the second execution linked to the recent anti-government protests.

Majidreza Rahnavard, 23, was hanged early on Monday in the city of Mashhad, the judiciary said.

A court convicted him of "enmity against God" after finding he had stabbed to death two members of the paramilitary Basij Resistance Force.

Rahnavard was hanged just 23 days after his arrest.

Human rights groups have warned that protesters are being sentenced to death after sham trials with no due process.

His mother was not told of the execution until after his death.

His family were then given the name of a cemetery and a plot number. When they turned up, security agents were burying his body.

Opposition activist collective 1500tasvir tweeted that the family were telephoned by an official at 07:00 local time and told: "We have killed your son and buried his body in Behesht-e Reza cemetery."

ELON MUSK TWEETS ‘PROSECUTE/FAUCI’, DRAWS FLAK

San Francisco : Elon Musk on Sunday targeted America’s outgoing top infectious disease official and key adviser of the US response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Anthony Fauci, in a tweet that sparked backlash. “My pronouns are Prosecute/ Fauci,” the billionaire Twitter CEO said, alluding to the practice of indicating gender pronouns after one’s name as well as the right-wing campaign to charge Fauci with crimes related to his involvement in US Covid policies.

Musk also posted a memeshowing Fauci telling US President Biden, “Just one more lockdown, my king. . . ” — inapparent criticism of the Covid mitigation measure Musk has repeatedly slammed. Early in the pandemic, Musk tweeted that concern over the virus was “dumb” and since taking over Twitter has removed its policy targeting Covid misinformation. Musk’s tweet got over 800,000 likes within 11 hours, but also sparked swift criticism.

Vaccine scientist and author Peter Hotez called on Musk to delete the tweet, saying, “200,000 Americans needlessly lost their lives from Covid dueto this kind of antiscience rhetoric and disinformation. ” Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar praised Fauci, and addressed Musk, saying: “Could you just leave a good man alone in your seemingly endless quest for attention?” But Musk received praise from right-wing corners. Republican congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had been removed from Twitter over Covid misinformation but whose account was reinstated under Musk, tweeted: “I affirm your pronouns Elon."