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Mars might have salty ponds next to its underground lake

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(CNN) Two years ago, scientists detected what looked like a salty lake under the surface of Mars’ southern ice cap.

Now, new research has found more evidence of the lake, and also revealed a number of smaller salty “ponds” nearby — raising the possibility there may be life on the Red Planet

In the new study, Italian scientists used the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS) instrument on the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft. The radar covered a larger area of the Martian surface and gathered additional data, allowing the scientists to “confirm the liquid nature of the previously observed lake,” the research team said in a statement.

The scientists were able to gather more specific details about the lake — for instance, they estimate it’s about 30 by 20 kilometers (18.6 by 12.4 miles) in area.

“The presence of a subglacial lake could have important consequences for astrobiology and the presence of habitable niches on Mars,” the statement added.

The study, published Monday in the journal Nature Astronomy, also said the detection of “several other smaller patches of water” was particularly exciting. The ponds — which the study describes as “patchy water pools or wet areas of smaller extent” — are different sizes, and separated from the main lake by strips of dry land.

The discovery is significant because it gives us a better idea of the Mars climate, and chemical makeup. For instance, the fact the lake and its surrounding ponds are still liquid suggest they are “hypersaline,” the study said — meaning they contain lots of salts. This lowers the melting point, preventing the water from freezing despite the cold environment, and may have allowed them to “survive for an extended period of time on a geological scale.”

And, of course, there’s the question of extraterrestrial life.A study last year suggested that 3 to 4 billion years ago, Mars — now cold and inhospitable — may have been warm enough to host pouring rainstorms and flowing water, which would have created an environment that could support simple life. As temperatures dropped later on, the water would freeze. The latest research posits that life on Mars might not just be a thing of the past.

“The possibility of extended hypersaline water bodies on Mars is particularly exciting because of the potential for the existence of microbial life,” the study said. If there really is life in these salty waters, it could take different forms. The scientists speculated there could be anaerobes — tiny organisms that don’t need oxygen — or extremophiles, which can survive in extreme cold or heat.

There could even be aerobes — organisms that require oxygen. Salty brines like the lakes or ponds hold six times the minimal amount of oxygen needed for microbes to breathe, the study said.

“The water bodies at the base of the (south polar layered deposits) therefore represent areas of potential astrobiological interest and planetary protection concern,” the study concluded, urging future Mars missions to target the polar lake region to gather additional data.



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Candidates who campaign during cooling-off period will face legal action: EC

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Saman Sri Ratnayake

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The period of silence prior to the 14 November general election commences from midnight on 11 November, Commissioner General of Elections Saman Sri Ratnayake has said, warning that any candidate who violates it will have to face legal action.

“I urge all candidates and their supporters not to campaign during the silent period. We have observed during recent elections that some candidates and their family members continued campaigning during the period of silence. Such candidates run the risk of losing their seats in case of being prosecuted for election law violations.

The Election Commission has also teamed up with social media platforms, which will remove election propaganda material during the cooling-off period, Ratnayake said.

“This was successfully implemented during the previous presidential election,” he added.

Police spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said that they had arrested 11 candidates for illegal distribution of handbills and posters and unruly behaviour inside police stations.

“The police have arrested 353 people for violating election laws,” he added.

Executive Director – Institute of Democratic Reforms and Electoral Studies (IRES), Manjula Gajanayake said that serious cases of election law violations and election related violence had decreased drastically this year.

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Schools closed on 13 and 14 Nov.

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The Ministry of Education (MoE) announced that all schools across the country will remain closed on 13 and 14 November in view of next week’s general election

Schools will reopen on 18 November.The parliamentary election is scheduled for 14 November.

Schools designated as polling stations must be handed over to the relevant Grama Niladhari Officers after school hours on 12 November.

All Zonal Education Directors and school principals have been instructed to provide the necessary tables, chairs, and hall facilities for polling station operations.

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Sri Lanka resumes pork sales as African Swine Fever subsides

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By Rathindra Kuruwita

Officials managing animal health in Sri Lanka were cautiously resuming pork sales after successfully containing the spread of African Swine Fever, Dr. G.A.D. Nandasiri, Deputy Provincial Director at the Department of Animal Production and Health for the Western Province, informed The Island on Friday (08).

In late October, the government issued a gazette notice prohibiting the transport, slaughter, and sale of pigs, infected with African Swine Fever, to curb the outbreak.

Dr. Nandasiri said: “African Swine Fever poses no risk to humans, and thoroughly cooked meat is safe to consume. As an initial measure, we are inspecting the existing pork stocks and allowing these to be sold. This process is underway across the country,” he said.

Authorities are also inspecting abattoirs to ensure that pigs there are free of the disease. After disposal, these facilities must remain pig-free.

“We have identified and monitored breeding farms unaffected by African Swine Fever and will soon begin distributing piglets from these farms to others. I believe

we can revitalise the industry in about two months,” he said.Dr. Nandasiri reassured the public that African Swine Fever is not a threat to human health and that the government has strengthened measures to prevent the entry of such foreign diseases.

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