LIMA, Perú--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 27, 2023--

Time travel, or just an illusion? Eagle eyed art lovers have spotted what appears to be a satellite in a four-century old painting of Jesus Christ. The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are depicted in the ‘Glorification of the Eucharist’, a painting by Ventura Salimbeni from 1595. But in the background is something surprising – a blue sphere with spikes sticking out of it, which some people have interpreted as Sputnik, the first satellite to orbit the Earth in 1957. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Steve Mera, chairman of the Manchester Association of Paranormal Investigation & Training (MAPIT) and a paranormal specialist and lecturer, said at a conference: “You start to find a lot of religious connotation linked in with the UFO phenomenon. “This painting [the Eucharist] was painted in the 1600s and nobody ever really knew what that was a painting of, until we kind of looked at Sputnik, which was the first satellite to pass round the Earth,” he said. “What is really, really interesting is it is surprisingly similar to Sputnik, even to the point there is a little nodule there (on Sputnik) and the exact same nodule on the side there [on the object in the painting].” Clearly, Salimbeni wouldn’t have known about Sputnik. Or would he…? Mera added: "Did they somehow have knowledge of future events?" Well, we can probably assume not. Instead, experts think the ball is a representation of the so-called celestial sphere (or the universe), while the spikes indicate God’s power over it. But for conspiracy theorists, it’s yet another win for time travel. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

The depleted uranium anti-tank rounds soon to be in Ukraine’s military stockpiles have kicked up a debate over its use in the continuing Russian invasion. Announced by the Pentagon in the latest military tranche on Wednesday, the controversial rounds have spread alarm among Vladimir Putin’s ministers who have warned against the escalation yet again. Britain has already promised armour-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium to Ukraine in March. Prime minister Rishi Sunak had backed drawing out the rounds from the UK military’s stockpiles ultimately “to degrade and deter – primarily – Russian aggression”. But what are these depleted uranium munitions? The 120mm anti-tank shells made of depleted uranium are self-sharpening and flammable penetrator in munitions. They are made of naturally occurring Uranium which has been stripped of mostly – not all – of its radioactive matter. So while it is not a nuclear weapon in itself, it acts as a fuel and also as a great explosive that can be used in tank armour, pressed between sheets of steel armour plate. They can be paired with top-tier tanks Western nations have already provided to Ukraine, and are particularly expected to boost the performance of 31 M1A1 Abram tanks set to be sent to the war-hit nation this fall. These rounds first emerged in the 1970s when the US army started making the armour-piercing rounds and has since used it along with tank armour to multiply the firing effect. Incredibly dense, more than lead, depleted uranium is considered a top-tier choice for projectiles. When fired, it becomes “essentially an exotic metal dart fired at an extraordinarily high speed”, RAND senior defence analyst Scott Boston said. “It’s so dense and it’s got so much momentum that it just keeps going through the armour – and it heats it up so much that it catches on fire,” Edward Geist, a nuclear expert at research organisation RAND said. The depleted uranium has also been added to the US ammunition fired by the Air Force’s A-10 close air support attack plane, known as the tank killer. Depleted uranium munitions, as well as depleted uranium-enhanced armour, have been previously used by US tanks in the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq’s T-72 tanks and again in the invasion of Iraq in 2003, as well as in Serbia and in Kosovo. Is the risk alarming? The UN nuclear watchdog has warned of the emissions of low levels of radiation from depleted uranium when handling and also warned of possible dangers of explosion. This is a bug, not a feature of the munition, says Mr Geist. Categorically, depleted uranium is not marked as a nuclear weapon. It is mainly a toxic chemical, as opposed to a radiation hazard. Particles in aerosols can be inhaled or ingested, and while most would be excreted again, some can enter the bloodstream and cause kidney damage. “High concentrations in the kidney can cause damage and, in extreme cases, renal failure,” the International Atomic Energy Agency has said. The US troops have questioned whether some of the ailments they now face were caused by inhaling or being exposed to fragments after a munition was fired or their tanks were struck, damaging uranium-enhanced armour. Experts have said that if the US military could find another material with the same density but without the radioactivity, it would likely switch. The IAEA has warned that handling of depleted uranium “should be kept to a minimum and protective apparel (gloves) should be worn” and “a public information campaign may, therefore, be required to ensure that people avoid handling the projectiles”. Initial signs of radioactivity from the Ukraine war have started trickling in. Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova had recently claimed that the use of these munitions has already led to radioactive contamination. How has Russia reacted? In March, Russia was fuming after the Rishi Sunak administration announced it will give depleted uranium rounds to Ukraine, prompting them to issue nuclear threats. This time, after the US joined Britain in sending the depleted uranium shells, Moscow snapped and called the latest military aid of depleted uranium a “criminal act” beyond just escalation. “It is a reflection of Washington’s outrageous disregard for the environmental consequences of using this kind of ammunition in a combat zone. This is, in fact, a criminal act, I cannot give any other assessment,” Russian deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said. He also reiterated previous warnings by Russia about the risk of a nuclear war, because of what he called Western “pressure” on Moscow. “Now this pressure is dangerously balancing on the brink of direct armed conflict between nuclear powers,” he said. In March, Vladimir Putin had warned that Moscow would "respond accordingly, given that the collective West is starting to use weapons with a ‘nuclear component.’” Several days later, Putin said Russia’s response will see Moscow stationing tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus, action to which effect was announced in July as Putin and the Belarusian president said they had already shipped some of the weapons. Read More The Body in the Woods | An Independent TV Original Documentary The harrowing discovery at centre of The Independent’s new documentary US sends Ukraine controversial depleted uranium weapons that can pierce tank armour UN nuclear watchdog report seen by AP says Iran slows its enrichment of near-weapons-grade uranium Kyiv drones explode near Moscow and military HQ as Russia on defensive – live

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken headed Wednesday to Israel in a show of solidarity after a bloody attack by Hamas, with Washington closing ranks with its ally as it...

Barbie fever has officially hit the UK with its London premiere on Wednesday (12 July) to celebrate the upcoming arrival of Greta Gerwig's movie. Margot Robbie took to the pink carpet in a custom Vivienne Westwood gown, inspired by the Enchanted Evening Barbie from 1960. The pale pink gown had a corseted strapless top, floral detailing at the hip, a train and white opera gloves. She walked onto the red carpet with a ruffle around her neck – like the doll – which she later removed. Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in the film, sported a 70s-inspired spearmint suit with a lighter-coloured shirt underneath. The event saw a host of stars, including Dua Lipa, Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa, Sam Smith, Leomie Anderson, Molly Mae, Andrew Wyatt, Rob Brydon and many more. With the film release just around the corner and the marketing team still putting in overtime to paint the world pink, some people's attention has wandered elsewhere with the very random, yet thought-provoking, question of how old the fictional doll is supposed to be. Now, on paper, the Barbie doll (formerly known as Barbara Millicent Roberts) has existed for over 60 years. The doll was first released in 1959, which would make her 64. Ken arrived two years later. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter However, in the past, Mattel has said Barbie is frozen at 19 years old. Given her impressive CV as a dentist, vet, chef, dancer, designer, and photojournalist, among many more, we'd argue she's not doing too bad. Not to mention her DreamHouse and car ownership, "My whole philosophy of Barbie was that through the doll, the little girl could be anything she wanted to be," Barbie creator Ruth Handler wrote in her 1994 autobiography. "Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices." Barbie is produced by Robbie’s company LuckyChap and will be released in cinemas on July 21. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 3, 2023--

Jessica Pegula is the richest tennis star in the world, even richer than soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo

Nasir Grant and Ameen Hurst planned and executed an escape from a Philadelphia prison with the help of a look-out on the inside, a hole in the prison fence and a getaway car. They are now back in ciustody after a ten-day investigation that spanned 3 states and led to charges for 4 additional people.