UNITED STATES

Comet surprises astronomers

Astronomers are tracking a newly spotted comet hailing from parts unknown, only the third time such an interstellar object has been observed visiting our solar system. According to the US space agency NASA, the interloper, named 3I/ATLAS, was first spotted on Tuesday by an Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, telescope located in Rio Hurtado, Chile. Astronomers said its unusual trajectory indicated it had ventured from beyond our solar system. Astronomers said the comet poses no threat to Earth. It is currently located about 670 million kilometers from the Sun and will reach its closest approach to the Sun around Oct 30, when it will be about 210 million km away from our star.

INDIA

Retaliatory duties proposed against US

New Delhi has proposed retaliatory duties against the US at the World Trade Organization, saying Washington's 25 percent tariff on automobiles and some auto parts would affect $2.89 billion of India's exports, according to an official notification. "India reserves the right to suspend concessions or other obligations … that are substantially equivalent to the adverse effects of the measure to India's trade," the statement said. According to the notification, the duty collected by the US would amount to $725 million and New Delhi will impose an "equivalent amount of duty collected from products originating in the United States". India did not specify the tariff rate or which goods it would levy duties on.

IRAN

Airspace reopened for flights: Ministry

Iran on Thursday reopened its airspace to domestic, foreign and international transit flights, the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development announced. The decision was made following the approval of the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran as well as precise security and safety assessments in view of the country's present circumstances, the ministry said in a statement published on its website. It added that flights had been resumed to and from the Mehrabad International Airport and Imam Khomeini International Airport in the capital Tehran as well as airports in the northern, eastern, western and southern parts of the country, except those in Isfahan and Tabriz in central and northwestern Iran respectively.