Here is a news article: GELA. La Soprintendenza del Mare riporta alla luce 39 lingotti di Oricalco: risalgono a 2600 anni fa. Per Platone era il misterioso metallo di Atlantide. Un tesoro ripescato nel litorale di contrada “Bulala” nel mare di Gela, in una zona che in passato ha restituito i resti di ben tre navi arcaiche. All’interno di un relitto databile alla prima metà del VI secolo a. C., 39 lingotti di un materiale nobile, l’Oricalco, simile al moderno ottone, noto nell’antichità come metallo prezioso, tanto da essere considerato al terzo posto per valore commerciale, dopo oro e argento. Secondo le analisi effettuate con “fluorescenza a raggi X” da Dario Panetta della TQ (Thecnology for Quality) con sede a Genova, ciascun esemplare è frutto di una lega di metalli composta per l’80% di rame e per il 20% di zinco e realizzata con tecniche avanzate, la cui lavorazione, i coloni geloti di origine rodio-cretese avevano appreso molto probabilmente dai Fenici. Platone parla dell’Oricalco come di un metallo misterioso presente in Atlantide e di elevato valore «a quel tempo il più prezioso dopo l’oro» e che le mura che comprendevano la cittadella ove insisteva il tempio di Poseidone a Clito «risplendevano con la rossa luce dell’Oricalco». Infine che “L’Oricalco, quel metallo che ormai si sente solo nominare, allora era più che un nome, ed era estratto dalla terra in molti luoghi dell’isola”.

 I primi ad individuare i preziosi reperti nel mare di Gela sono stati i volontari dell’associazione ambientalista «Mare Nostrum» diretta da Francesco Cassarino. Il recupero è avvenuto con una squadra di sommozzatori della Capitaneria di Porto, della Guardia di finanza e della Soprintendenza del Mare.

 I lingotti di Oricalco erano in arrivo a Gela, provenienti verosimilmente dalla Grecia o dall’Asia Minore, quando la nave che li trasportava affondò forse per il maltempo. Il rinvenimento dimostra la ricchezza di Gela in epoca arcaica, circa 100 anni dopo la sua fondazione del 689 a.C. ad opera di Antifemo e Eutimo, nonché la presenza di ricche e specializzate officine artigianali per la produzione di oggetti di grande valore estetico. La presenza di Oricalco a Gela potrebbe connettersi con l’origine rodia della città. Non è trascurabile il fatto che gli antichi Greci indicavano in Cadmo (figura mitologica greco-fenicia) l’inventore del prezioso metallo. I 39 lingotti pregiati sarebbero stati destinati a un artigianato locale di alta qualità, per decorazioni di particolare pregio.

 “Il rinvenimento di lingotti di Oricalco nel mare di Gela apre prospettive di grande rilievo per la ricerca e lo studio delle antiche rotte di approvvigionamento di metalli nell’antichità mediterranea. Finora nulla del genere era stato rinvenuto nè a terra nè a mare. Si conosceva l’Oricalco attraverso notizie testuali e pochi oggetti ornamentali. Inoltre si conferma la grande ricchezza e capacità produttiva artigianale della città di Gela in epoca arcaica come area di consumo di oggetti di pregio. L’Oricalco era, infatti, per gli antichi un metallo prezioso la cui invenzione produttiva attribuivano a Cadmo. Si pone come ora necessario lo scavo del relitto cui appartengono i lingotti poiché è certo che si tratta di un carico di grande importanza storico-commerciale per aggiornare la più antica storia economica della Sicilia." - ha affermato il Soprintendente del Mare, Sebastiano Tusa.

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 A team of divers recovered nearly 40 ingots off the sea floor near Siciliy, from a ship that was lost in the sixth century.

 Gleaming cast metal called orichalcum, which was said by Ancient Greeks to be found in Atlantis, has been recovered from a ship that sunk 2,600 years ago off the coast of Sicily.

 The lumps of metal were arriving to Gela in southern Sicily, possibly coming from Greece or Asia Minor. The ship that was carrying them was likely caught in a storm and sunk just when it was about to enter the port.

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 "The wreck dates to the first half of the sixth century," Sebastiano Tusa, Sicily's superintendent of the Sea Office, told Discovery News. "It was found about 1,000 feet from Gela's coast at a depth of 10 feet."

 He noted that the 39 ingots found on the sandy sea floor represent a unique finding.

 "Nothing similar has ever been found," Tusa said. "We knew orichalcum from ancient texts and a few ornamental objects."

 Indeed orichalcum has long been considered a mysterious metal, its composition and origin widely debated.

 According to the ancient Greeks, it was invented by Cadmus, a Greek-Phoenician mythological character. The fourth century B.C. Greek philosopher Plato made orichalcum a legendary metal when he mentioned it in the Critias dialogue.

 Describing Atlantis as flashing "with the red light of orichalcum," he wrote that the metal, second only in value to gold, was mined in the mythical island and was used to cover Poseidon's temple interior walls, columns and floors.

 Today most scholars agree orichalcum is a brass-like alloy, which was made in antiquity by cementation. This process was achieved with the reaction of zinc ore, charcoal and copper metal in a crucible.

 Analyzed with X-ray fluorescence by Dario Panetta, of TQ - Tecnologies for Quality, the 39 ingots turned to be an alloy made with 75-80 percent copper, 15-20 percent zinc and small percentages of nickel, lead and iron.

 "The finding confirms that about a century after its foundation in 689 B.C., Gela grew to become a wealthy city with artisan workshops specialized in the production of prized artifacts," Tusa said.

 The 39 ingots recovered from the wreck were indeed destined to these workshops and were used in high quality decorations.

 According to Enrico Mattievich, a retired professor of physics who taught at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the ingots are not properly made from orichalcum.

 "It appears they are lumps of latone metal, an alloy of copper, zinc and lead," he told Discovery News.

 Mattievich, who has led a number of studies in physics applied to mineralogy, paleontology and archaeology, is one of the scholars who disagree on the brass-like nature of orichalcum.

 While other scholars equated the mysterious metal to amber and to other copper based alloys, Mattievich believes orichalcum has its roots in the Peruvian Andes and in the Chavín civilization that developed there from 1200 B.C. to 200 B.C.

 According to the scholar, who claimed in his book "Journey to the Mythological Inferno" that the ancient Greeks had discovered America, a metallic alloy "with fire-Iike reflections" similar to Plato's description was found in a set of metallic jaguars of Chavin style, which turned to be made of 9 percent copper, 76 percent gold and 15 percent silver.

 Whatever the origins and nature of orichalcum, Tusa's team plans to excavate the shipwreck and bring to light the entire cargo.

 "It will provide us with precious information on Sicily's most ancient economic history," Tusa said. |||||
A summary of this is?

– It was considered one of the most precious metals in ancient times—and Plato claimed it lined the temple of Poseidon on the legendary island of Atlantis—but this appears to be the first time anybody in modern times has actually found some orichalcum. Researchers in Sicily say a shipwreck from 2,600 years ago, not long before the time of Plato, has yielded 39 ingots of the mysterious metal, Discovery reports. Scholars have long debated the composition of the alloy mentioned in ancient writings, but testing has revealed the Sicily ingots to be a copper-zinc mix with small percentages of nickel, lead, and iron. "Nothing similar has ever been found," says the superintendent of Sicily's Sea Office. "We knew orichalcum from ancient texts and a few ornamental objects." He tells the Giornale di Sicilia that the ingots were apparently bound for workshops in the town of Gela, probably coming from Greece or Asia Minor, when the ship transporting them sank. The find, he says, "opens prospects of great importance to the research and study of ancient routes of supply of metals in the ancient Mediterranean. ... It will provide us with precious information on Sicily's most ancient economic history." (Divers recently found a "holy grail" of shipwrecks.)


Humans aren't the only creatures that string sounds together to convey unique meanings. Research shows chestnut-crowned babbler birds have their own vocabulary.

 Talking birds have long been relegated to the realm of children’s cartoons, but new research shows that Tweety’s vocal observations of puddy tats may not be as unrealistic as we think.

 It was previously thought that humans were the only species that could communicate by stringing together meaningless sounds in order to create meaningful ones. Now, scientists at the Universities of Exeter and Zurich have discovered that a type of bird known as babbler birds do the same thing.

 Researchers found that the highly social chestnut-crowned babbler, which hails from the Australian Outback, has the ability to communicate new meaning by rearranging the meaningless sounds in its calls. This is similar to how humans form meaningful words.

 "Although previous studies indicate that animals, particularly birds, are capable of stringing different sounds together as part of a complex song, these songs generally lack a specific meaning and changing the arrangement of sounds within a song does not seem to alter its overall message," Sabrina Engesser, one of the researchers, said in a press release.

 "In contrast to most songbirds, the chestnut-crowned babblers do not sing,” she explained. “Instead, its extensive vocal repertoire is characterized by discrete calls made up of smaller acoustically distinct individual sounds.”

 Ms. Engesser and her colleagues first noticed that the birds reused two sounds, A and B, in different arrangements while engaging in specific behaviors. A flight call produced while flying, AB, had different meaning than a BAB call produced while feeding chicks.

 While the birds showed that they could tell the difference between the two arrangements by looking at the nests when they heard a feeding call and by looking out for incoming birds when they heard a flight call, they also could tell the difference when the researchers made flight calls from feeding elements and feeding calls from flight elements. This demonstrated that the two calls were rearrangements of the same sounds.

 According to behavioral ecologist and co-author Andy Russell, who has been studying babblers since 2004, the birds may rearrange sounds to code new meaning because “doing so through combining two existing sounds is quicker than evolving a new sound altogether.”

 Researchers say their findings, which are published in the journal PLOS Biology, reveal “a potential early step in the emergence of the elaborate language systems we use today.”

 Talking birds have long been designated to the realm of children’s cartoons, but new research shows that Tweety’s vocal observations of puddy tats may not be as unrealistic as we think.

 It was previously thought that humans were the only species that could communicate by stringing together meaningless sounds in order to create meaningful ones. Now, scientists at the Universities of Exeter and Zurich have discovered that a kind of bird called “babbler birds” do the same thing.

 Researchers found that the highly social chestnut-crowned babbler, which hails from the Australian Outback, has the ability to communicate new meaning by rearranging the meaningless sounds in its calls. This is similar to how humans form meaningful words.

 "Although previous studies indicate that animals, particularly birds, are capable of stringing different sounds together as part of a complex song, these songs generally lack a specific meaning and changing the arrangement of sounds within a song does not seem to alter its overall message," Sabrina Engesser, one of the researchers, said in a press release.

 "In contrast to most songbirds, the chesnut-crowned babblers do not sing,” she explained. “Instead, its extensive vocal repertoire is characterized by discrete calls made up of smaller acoustically distinct individual sounds.”

 Engesser and her colleagues first noticed that the birds reused two sounds, A and B, in different arrangements while engaging in specific behaviors. A flight call produced while flying, AB, had different meaning than a BAB call produced while feeding chicks.

 While the birds showed that they could tell the difference between the two arrangements by looking at the nests when they heard a feeding call and by looking out for incoming birds when they heard a flight call, they also could tell the difference when the researchers made flight calls from feeding elements and feeding calls from flight elements. This demonstrated that the two calls were rearrangements of the same sounds.

 According to co-author Professor Andy Russell, who has been studying babblers since 2004, they believe the birds may rearrange sounds to code new meaning because “doing so through combining two existing sounds is quicker than evolving a new sound altogether.”

 Reserachers say their findings, which are published in the open source journal PLOS Biology, reveal “a potential early step in the emergence of the elaborate language systems we use today.” ||||| Image copyright Jodie Crane Image caption The bird is gregarious and lives in family groups

 A bird can communicate in a similar way to how humans use language, scientists have discovered.

 A study of the chestnut-crowned babbler bird from Australia revealed a method of communicating that has never before been observed in animals.

 The bird combines sounds in different combinations to convey meaning.

 The findings could help in the understanding of how language evolved in humans, researchers report in the online journal PLOS Biology.

 Co-researcher Dr Andy Russell from the University of Exeter said: "It is the first evidence outside of a human that an animal can use the same meaningless sounds in different arrangements to generate new meaning.

 "It's a very basic form of word generation - I'd be amazed if other animals can't do this too."

 Flight call

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Babbler bird prompt call

 Babbler birds were found to combine two sounds (known as A and B) to generate calls associated with specific behaviours.

 In flight, they used an "A-B" call to make their whereabouts known, but when alerting chicks to food they combined the sounds differently to make "B-A-B".

 The birds seemed to understand the meaning of the calls.

 When the feeding call was played back to them, they looked at nests, while when they heard a flight call they looked at the sky.

 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Babbler bird flight call

 Co-researcher Dr Simon Townsend, from the University of Zurich, said: "Although the two babbler bird calls are structurally very similar, they are produced in totally different behavioural contexts and listening birds are capable of picking up on this."

 The findings could aid understanding of how language evolved in the ancestors of humans, he added. ||||| Key element of human language discovered in bird babble

 Stringing together meaningless sounds to create meaningful signals was previously thought to be the preserve of humans alone, but a new study has revealed that babbler birds are also able to communicate in this way.

 Researchers at the Universities of Exeter and Zurich discovered that the chestnut-crowned babbler – a highly social bird found in the Australian Outback – has the ability to convey new meaning by rearranging the meaningless sounds in its calls. This babbler bird communication is reminiscent of the way humans form meaningful words. The research findings, which are published in the journal PLOS Biology, reveal a potential early step in the emergence of the elaborate language systems we use today.

 Lead author Sabrina Engesser from the University of Zurich said: “Although previous studies indicate that animals, particularly birds, are capable of stringing different sounds together as part of a complex song, these songs generally lack a specific meaning and changing the arrangement of sounds within a song does not seem to alter its overall message.”

 “In contrast to most songbirds, chestnut-crowned babblers do not sing. Instead its extensive vocal repertoire is characterised by discrete calls made up of smaller acoustically distinct individual sounds.” she added.

 “We think that babbler birds may choose to rearrange sounds to code new meaning because doing so through combining two existing sounds is quicker than evolving a new sound altogether.” said co-author Professor Andy Russell from the Centre for Ecology and Conservation at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus who has been studying the babblers since 2004.

 The researchers noticed that chestnut-crowned babblers reused two sounds “A” and “B” in different arrangements when performing specific behaviours. When flying, the birds produced a flight call “AB”, but when feeding chicks in the nest they emitted “BAB” prompt calls.

 When the researchers played the sounds back, the listening birds showed they were capable of discriminating between the different call types by looking at the nests when they heard a feeding prompt call and by looking out for incoming birds when they heard a flight call. This was also the case when the researchers switched elements between the two calls: making flight calls from prompt elements and prompt calls from flight elements, indicating that the two calls were indeed generated from rearrangements of the same sounds.

 Co-author Dr Simon Townsend from the University of Zurich said: “This is the first time that the capacity to generate new meaning from rearranging meaningless elements has been shown to exist outside of humans.

 “Although the two babbler bird calls are structurally very similar, they are produced in totally different behavioural contexts and listening birds are capable of picking up on this.”

 The authors report that in the chestnut-crowned babbler, the first sound element “B” is what seems to differentiate the meaning between flight and prompt vocalisations, akin to cat and at in English, where the c represents the meaning differentiating element, or phoneme.

 “Although this so-called phoneme structuring is of a very simple kind, it might help us understand how the ability to generate new meaning initially evolved in humans” added Dr Simon Townsend. “It could be that when phoneme structuring first got off the ground in our hominid ancestors, this is the form it initially took”. |||||

Write a summary.

– Scientists have discovered a talent never seen outside of humans in a small Australian bird: the ability to string sounds together to convey different meanings. Essentially, "it's a very basic form of word generation," researcher Andy Russell tells the BBC. The team started out by listening to chestnut-crowned babbler birds. Rather than sing, they produce "discrete calls made up of smaller, acoustically distinct individual sounds," an expert says in a press release. Two sounds, identified as "A" and "B," kept getting repeated. For example, the birds used an "AB" call to tell other birds where they were while in flight (listening birds would look to the sky), while a "BAB" call told chicks it was feeding time (listening birds would look at nests). Rearranging the sounds of the flight call to produce the latter call showed no alteration in the birds' behavior, and vice versa, proving the individual sounds were in fact the same. "Although the two babbler bird calls are structurally very similar, they are produced in totally different behavioral contexts and listening birds are capable of picking up on this," a researcher explains. Russell adds, per the Christian Science Monitor, the babblers may communicate this way because it's easier to swap existing sounds than make up new ones. What's perhaps most fascinating is that researchers believe the birds' "B" sound differentiates the meaning of the call. In other words, it's the "c" that discerns the words "cat" and "at" in the English language. Such distinguishing elements are called phonemes, and this basic example "might help us understand how the ability to generate new meaning initially evolved in humans," an expert says. "It could be that when phoneme structuring first got off the ground in our hominid ancestors, this is the form it initially took." Russell says the ability likely exists in other animals. (Learn why these "bachelor" birds could save their species.)


Here is a news article: Activists opposed to China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea marched on the Chinese embassy in Manila Friday, further escalating the two countries’ territorial dispute.

 Huangyan Island is a small, rocky outcrop of land about 220 kilometers from the Philippine mainland of Luzon. Tensions in the region escalated on April 10 when the Philippines accused Chinese vessels of illegally fishing in Philippine territory.

 Reuters

 On Friday, foreign ministry spokesperson Hong Lei blamed the Philippines for rising tensions between the two countries. He said the Philippines side encouraged people to hold anti-China embassy protests, an action that complicates and magnifies the situation.

 Hong said China pays great attention to the safety of Chinese nationals in the Philippines and has demanded the Philippines take effective measures to earnestly protect the safety of Chinese nationals and institutions in the Philippines.

 The dispute has become an issue of national pride for some Chinese. Small groups of protesters marched in front of the Philippine embassy in Beijing, Friday.

 "I believe this Huayuan Island is an inseparable part of China. I hope their governments don’t make this a cause for bad relations," one protester said.

 The protest in Manila was much larger than the one in Beijing. Hundreds of protesters marched in front of the Chinese embassy - many carrying placards that read: “China Back Off.”

 “The main objective of the protest action is to call the attention of the international community with regards to the Chinese government’s continuing and escalating intrusions in the Panatag [Scarborough] shoal area which we strongly believe is an integral part of the Philippine territory,” explained Emma Hizon, one of the organizers.

 The standoff escalated in April when China sent two maritime surveillance ships to prevent the Philippines from arresting Chinese fishermen off Huangyan Island. A Philippines coast guard vessel is currently facing off with the two Chinese ships.

 Several countries claim parts of the South China Sea, including Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan. The waterway is a strategically important trade route and a potentially rich source of oil and natural gas in the region. But Chinese officials have ramped up warnings in recent weeks about the territorial dispute, with state-backed newspapers warning of “small-scale war” if the Philippines does not back off.

 China warned its citizens in the Philippines to be cautious and the China International Travel Service, a large government-run travel agency, said it was postponing trips to the Philippines because of the protests. The standoff is also affecting trade between the two countries. In what may be a punitive action by the Chinese government, 1,200 containers of bananas from the Philippines are being held in customs because of what authorities say are "quarantine concerns".

 Meanwhile civic groups in the Philippines say they are planning more protests outside of Chinese missions in New York, Singapore and Rome.

  ||||| Footage aired by Chinese broadcaster Dragon TV showed Zhang Fan hoisting the flag during his report from Huangyan island as he explained the history of the long-standing territorial dispute between China and the Philippines .

 Both countries claim the Scarborough Shoal, which is known as Panatag Shoal to Filipinos or Huangyan island to the Chinese.

 Territorial rivalry has escalated over the small rocky outpost during the last month as the Philippines have attempted to scale back an expanding Chinese presence in the potentially oil-rich South China Sea.

 Beijing and Manila have been locked in a high seas stand-off since the PLA Navy prevented a Philippine warship from arresting crews of Chinese fishing boats near the Scarborough Shoal on April 8.

 Both countries claim the fish rich shoal as their own and protests by Philippine fishermen over their loss of livelihood have drawn mass support in the south-east Asian country.

 About 400 activists marched to the Chinese embassy in Manila on Friday to protest against what they call Chinese encroachment on the disputed shoal.

 After China warned its Philippine-based citizens to "stay indoors" earlier this week as tensions mounted, Emman Hizon, spokesperson of the Filipino protesters, said the demonstrations should not alarm Chinese residents.

 "We reiterate our statement to the Chinese nationals: they have nothing to worry about. This is not a protest action against them; this is a protest action to manifest our indignation against the Chinese government's policy and military still approaching in the Panatag Shoal area," he said. |||||
A summary of this is?

– China issued a warning to its citizens in the Philippines yesterday, telling them to "avoid going out at all if possible," because a war may be brewing between the two countries, the Telegraph reports. What is this war over? A few rocks in the South China Sea. Both countries lay claim to the Scarborough Shoal—and, more importantly, to the fish-rich waters around it. One Chinese TV station aired footage of a reporter defiantly raising China's flag on one of those rocks. Chinese state-run media has warned that there will be a "small-scale war" if the Philippines doesn't back down, Voice of America reports. China's state-owned tourism company broke off ties with the country yesterday over today's scheduled protest outside the Chinese embassy building in Manila. China's foreign minister today accused the Philippine government of encouraging the protest, and said it would complicate and escalate the situation and endanger Chinese nationals in the Philippines.


Summarize this article:

Ethan Miller/Getty Images for Comedy Central Jon Stewart, who helped turn "The Daily Show" into a cultural force, is leaving the anchor's chair after nearly 17 years.

 Comedy Central confirmed the news on Twitter:

 According to the AV Club, Stewart announced he was leaving the show at the beginning of the taping for Tuesday's episode. Stewart will continue hosting the show until "later this year."

 Stewart, 52, started hosting "The Daily Show" in January 1999, taking over for Craig Kilborn. Since then, the show has won 20 prime-time Emmys.

 The late-night show became appointment television with Stewart as host, and he emerged as both a leading political satirist and one of toughest interviewers in the news media.

 Jon Stewart with former President Bill Clinton on "The Daily Show" in 2004. Peter Kramer/Getty Images

 In 2008, The New York Times' Michiko Kakutani wondered whether Stewart was in fact "the most trusted man in America." But Stewart had turned to other projects outside of the show recently, directing his first feature film, "Rosewater," last year.

 In a statement, Michele Ganeless, the president of Comedy Central, said she thought the show could outlast Stewart.

 "Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera," Ganeless wrote in a statement, according to Politico. "Through his unique voice and vision, 'The Daily Show' has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come."

 Jon Stewart during live Election Night coverage on Nov. 2, 2004. Frank Micelotta/Getty Images It is unclear what Stewart will do after leaving "The Daily Show."

 But he has numerous other high-profile credits outside of the show. In addition to directing "Rosewater," a dramatic film about the detention of Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari during Iran's election protests in 2009, Stewart starred as a version of himself in the critically acclaimed "The Larry Sanders Show" in the mid-1990s.

 Stewart on an episode of "The Larry Sanders Show." The Larry Sanders Show screencap One of Stewart's most memorable moments came outside of the context of "The Daily Show," when he appeared on "Crossfire" in 2004 and sparred with host Tucker Carlson on cable news' allegedly malign impact on American political discourse.

 Stewart also emerged as a forceful proponent for Bassem Youssef, an Egyptian satirist curtailed by Egypt's post-Arab Spring rulers.

 He used "The Daily Show" to advocate a bill that would pay medical benefits for first responders from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that nearly fell victim to Congressional gridlock. Stewart has deep cultural reach and distinct interviewing and directing talents.

 He is a nearly singular media and cultural figure, and it will be interesting to see what he does once he has left a show that he has anchored since the Clinton administration was in power.

 Jon Stewart on set of "The Daily Show," warming up the crowd in April 2005. Scott Gries/Getty Images In November, Stewart speculated to NPR's Terry Gross about what it would be like to leave "The Daily Show," and he implied that the idea held some appeal for him: "I do feel like I don't know that there will ever be anything that I will ever be as well suited for as this show," Stewart said. "That being said, I think there are moments when you realize that that's not enough anymore, or that maybe it's time for some discomfort."

 Watch Stewart make the announcement below: ||||| Ending one of the most venerable and trusted careers in making a complete mockery of the news, Jon Stewart has announced that he is stepping down as host of The Daily Show. According to sources who were there (some of whom are already passing word along on social media), Stewart let the news slip at the taping of today’s episode, telling those in the audience that he’s retiring. No word yet on when exactly he’s leaving, whether this means he’s ending his time in the anchor chair to focus on being a Serious Movie Director now, or just how much this is Brian Williams’ fault. Presumably all of this information will be revealed in time—and delivered by Stewart himself tonight on your television. We’ll update when we have more.

 UPDATE: Comedy Central just sent out this official statement confirming the news, and saying that Stewart will remain with The Daily Show until later this year. It also says that the show will “endure for years to come,” suggesting that it won’t end with Stewart:

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 UPDATE 2: Here’s video of Stewart’s announcement. ||||| 1 of 26 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad × Jon Stewart leaves ‘The Daily Show’ View Photos After 16 years on ‘The Daily Show,’ Jon Stewart has departed. Caption After 16 years on ‘The Daily Show,’ Jon Stewart has departed. Nov. 30, 2011 Jon Stewart is seen on stage during a taping of "The Daily Show With Jon Stewart" in New York. Brad Barket/AP Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

 UPDATED:

 Jon Stewart, who pushed political comedy into a new realm with a show that relayed news by parodying the news, will leave “The Daily Show” later this year after 16 years at the helm, Comedy Central announced Tuesday night.

 To a younger generation of viewers who stopped watching network news, his late-night “fake” news show — which particularly delighted in skewering politicians and the media — made him a trusted messenger to millions.

 [Here’s how Jon Stewart told “The Daily Show" audience he’s stepping down]

 Since its launch with Stewart as host — he took over the program in 1999 from Craig Kilborn — “The Daily Show” has routinely racked up awards. It won the outstanding variety series Emmy for 10 years in a row.

 Stewart, 52, who often emphasized that he is a comedian rather than a news anchor, truly made his mark during the 2000 presidential election with his “Indecision 2000” coverage of the George W. Bush and Al Gore recount in Florida. Afterward, everything on the show clicked, and Stewart emerged as the star of the comedy network — especially during the Bush administration, when the stentorian and seemingly exasperated host would take on the policies of Bush, vice president Dick Cheney and defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

 Stewart broke the news of his departure to his audience during the show’s taping in New York. Almost immediately on social media, the tweets started from people who witnessed the announcement. One of them was David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Obama:

 Just had the honor of being the great Jon Stewart's guest on @TheDailyShow, where he announced he's leaving. Emotional night. #jonstewart — David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) February 11, 2015

 Over the years, Stewart’s team of deadpan “correspondents” also became comedy stars, including Stephen Colbert, John Oliver, Steve Carell, Larry Wilmore, Ed Helms, Samantha Bee and Jason Jones. Colbert went on to star on “The Colbert Report” for nearly a decade before departing in December to take over for late-night veteran David Letterman on CBS.

 [Jon Stewart’s hardest truth – The time has come to wrap up the joke]

 “The Daily Show’s” steady rise coincided with the popularity of Internet video, as clips from Stewart’s broadcast frequently circulated on the Web the following day. They often featured him mocking the 24-hour cable news cycle, and he became known for taking aim at Fox News Channel and CNN. As such, Stewart became a serious pundit in his own right — albeit one who amply punctuated his commentary with expletives.

 “Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera,” the network said in a statement Tuesday. “Through his unique voice and vision, ‘The Daily Show’ has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come.”

 A darling of liberals, Stewart made headlines for his ongoing self-proclaimed “feud” with Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly, which culminated in a live debate called “The Rumble in the Air-Conditioned Auditorium” in 2012.

 Stewart’s impact could also be measured off-screen. His 2010 Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington brought hundreds of thousands to the Mall to see Stewart and his fellow Comedy Central star Colbert take the stage and encourage people to participate in politics and civil discourse despite the seemingly hopeless partisan gridlock in Washington.

 [Act Four: Pop culture needs Jon Stewart now more than ever]

 As for “The Daily Show,” some suspected that Stewart’s departure appeared imminent last summer when he took three months off to direct a feature film, “Rosewater,” about journalist Maziar Bahari’s imprisonment in Iran.

 In an interview with The Washington Post in November, Stewart wouldn’t discuss future career plans other than joking that they included “a nap.” He also dismissed the suggestion that he would run for political office, and laughingly shot down the idea that people — even those who see him as a trusted figure — would vote for him.

 “You don’t know that,” he said, “except in the way that people would vote for a second-string quarterback to take over for the first-string quarterback if they are feeling frustration at their team’s goals.”

 The specific timing of Stewart’s departure was not announced. The network statement said only that the host would leave “later this year.” His contract expires in the fall.

 Losing a marquee host is a tough loss for Comedy Central, though the statement made sure to note that the program — which regularly attracts about a million viewers a night — “will endure for years to come.”

 It is the latest in a long line of changes in the Comedy Central late-night lineup. Besides Colbert’s departure, John Oliver — who at one point appeared to be Stewart’s likely successor — also left last year to host the breakout hit “Last Week Tonight” on HBO. Larry Wilmore, also a potential hosting option as a “Daily Show” standout, recently started his own “Nightly Show” on the network, replacing Colbert.

 [Why Jon Stewart and Brian Williams should just switch jobs]

 Here’s Comedy Central’s full statement:

 RELATED

 Video: Late-night laughs ||||| On Media Blog Archives Select Date… December, 2015 November, 2015 October, 2015 September, 2015 August, 2015 July, 2015 June, 2015 May, 2015 April, 2015 March, 2015 February, 2015 January, 2015

 Jon Stewart leaving

 Jon Stewart, host of Comedy Central's "The Daily Show," will step down later this year, the president of the network confirmed in a statement to the On Media blog Tuesday.

 “For the better part of the last two decades, I have had the incredible honor and privilege of working with Jon Stewart. His comedic brilliance is second to none," Michele Ganeless, president of Comedy Central, said in a statement.

 "Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera," Ganeless continued. "Through his unique voice and vision, ‘The Daily Show’ has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come."

 (POLITICO Video: Jon Stewart announces 'Daily Show' departure)

 "Jon will remain at the helm of ‘The Daily Show’ until later this year," she wrote. "He is a comic genius, generous with his time and talent, and will always be a part of the Comedy Central family.”

 Stewart, who became host of "The Daily Show" in 1999, has had an immeasurable influence on American politics and satire. Under his leadership, "The Daily Show" has also spawned the creation of influential Comedy Central shows like "The Colbert Report" and "The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore," as well as HBO's "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver."

 Stewart also announced his forthcoming departure during Tuesday's taping of "The Daily Show," which airs tonight at 11 p.m. EST.

 (POLITICO Video: The career highlights of Jon Stewart)

 UPDATE (11:40 p.m.): At the end of Tuesday night's episode of "The Daily Show," Stewart addressed his departure, noting that the show and audience do not deserve "a restless host" and that the specifics of his departure have not been worked out but that it will occur before September:

 Doug Herzog and Michele Ganeless gave me an incredible opportunity 17 years ago to pilot this wonderful franchise, and 17 years is the longest I have ever in my life held a job, by 16 years and five months. Thank you. The upshot there being, I am a terrible employee. In my heart, I know it is time for someone else to have that opportunity. ... Not right away, we’re still working out details; I’m up in September, might be December or July. I don’t have a lot of specific plans; I’ve got a lot of ideas, a lot of things in my head. I’m going to have dinner on a school night with my family, who I have heard from multiple sources are lovely people. I’m not going to be here and try to sum up what this place has meant to me over the years. I couldn’t do that, we’ve got plenty of time, and I’ve got myriad of people to thank … but this show doesn’t deserve an even slightly restless host, and neither do you. I don’t think I’m going to miss being on TV every day; I’m going to miss coming here every day. I love the people here, they’re the best, they’re collaborative and they’re kind. … I love them and respect them so much. It’s been an absolute privilege. The honor of my professional life. I thank you for watching it, for hate-watching it, whatever reason you’re turning in for. You get in this business with the idea that maybe you have a point of view and something to express. And to receive feedback from that is the greatest feeling I can ask for, and I thank you.

 Hadas Gold contributed to this report. ||||| Jon Stewart, who turned Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” into a sharp-edged commentary on current events, delivering the news in layers of silliness and mockery, said on Tuesday that he would step down after more than 16 years as its anchor.

 Mr. Stewart, whose contract with Comedy Central ends in September, disclosed his plans during a taping of the program on Tuesday. Saying that “in my heart, I know it is time for someone else” to have the opportunity he had, Mr. Stewart told his audience that he was still working out the details of his departure, which “might be December, might be July.”

 “I don’t have any specific plans,” Mr. Stewart said, addressing the camera at the end of his show, at times seeming close to tears. “Got a lot of ideas. I got a lot of things in my head. I’m going to have dinner on a school night with my family, who I have heard from multiple sources are lovely people.”

 “I’m not going anywhere tomorrow,” Mr. Stewart added, “but this show doesn’t deserve an even slightly restless host, and neither do you.” Comedy Central did not elaborate on the future of the show, except to say that it “will endure for years to come.” ||||| America

 Jon Stewart Will Leave 'The Daily Show' This Year

 i itoggle caption Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images

 Update: 12:30 a.m. ET Wednesday

 Stewart closed Tuesday night's episode of The Daily Show with discussion of his pending departure.

 "Seventeen years is the longest I have ever — in my life — held a job, by 16 years and five months," Stewart said. "The upshot there being, I am a terrible employee. ...

 "We're still working out details, I'm up in September, I'm up around then, might be December, might be July ... I don't have any specific plans. Got a lotta ideas, I got a lot of things in my head. I'm gonna have dinner — on a school night! — with my family, who I have heard from multiple sources are lovely people.

 "This show doesn't deserve an even slightly restless host, and neither do you. I don't think I'm going to miss on television every day — I'm gonna miss coming here every day ... I love the people here, they're the best. They're creative and collaborative and kind."

 "It's been an absolute privilege. It's been the honor of my professional life."

 Original Post

 Jon Stewart, the comedian who has become a highly influential figure in American politics, is leaving The Daily Show sometime this year.

 Stewart let the news slip during this evening's taping of the show.

 Fittingly, The A.V. Club, a real-news spin-off of The Onion, first reported the news and Comedy Central confirmed it, saying Stewart would step down "later this year."

 "Jon has been at the heart of Comedy Central, championing and nurturing the best talent in the industry, in front of and behind the camera," Michele Ganeless, Comedy Central's president, said in a statement. "Through his unique voice and vision, The Daily Show has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come. Jon will remain at the helm of 'The Daily Show' until later this year. He is a comic genius, generous with his time and talent, and will always be a part of the Comedy Central family."

 The A.V. Club quoted audience members saying Stewart said he was "retiring."

 Comedy Central's other towering figure of political satire, Stephen Colbert, ended his own run on The Colbert Report, last year.

 Colbert is taking over for David Letterman in September.

 Billed as "the most trusted name in fake news," Stewart has been hosting The Daily Show on Comedy Central in 1999. Despite its irreverence and its sometimes cutting humor, the show has attracted the most prominent of American political figures seeking to woo a younger demographic.

 Everyone from Presidents Obama and Clinton to Gen. Colin Powell and Sen. John McCain have appeared on the show with Stewart.

 In a recent Pew study, 12 percent of respondents said they had gotten political news from the program. That compares to 12 percent who answered USA Today and 10 percent who answered The Wall Street Journal. |||||

– Jon Stewart is retiring from the Daily Show later this year. He reportedly revealed the big news during the taping of tonight's episode, reports the AV Club. In a statement to Politico, a Comedy Central exec confirms that Stewart will step down at a still-unspecified date after more than 15 years. "Through his unique voice and vision, the Daily Show has become a cultural touchstone for millions of fans and an unparalleled platform for political comedy that will endure for years to come," says network chief Michele Ganeless, which seems to suggest that the show will go on with a new host. This is one of those rare cases when a network's official statement is right in line with what most others are writing: "To a younger generation of viewers who stopped watching the news, his late-night 'fake' news show—which skewered politicians and the media—made him a trusted messenger to millions," writes Emily Yahr at the Washington Post. Business Insider: The show is a "cultural force." NPR: A "hugely influential figure in American politics." New York Times: A "nightly home for sharp-edged political satire and up-to-the-moment commentary on the news." (Stewart, of course, is a movie director now, too.)


Article:
Abstract

 We measured maps of atmospheric water (H 2 O) and its deuterated form (HDO) across the martian globe, showing strong isotopic anomalies and a significant high D/H enrichment indicative of great water loss. The maps sample the evolution of sublimation from the north polar cap, revealing that the released water has a representative D/H value enriched by a factor of about 7 relative to Earth’s ocean (VSMOW). Certain basins and orographic depressions show even higher enrichment, while high altitude regions show much lower values (1 to 3 VSMOW). Our atmospheric maps indicate that water ice in the polar reservoirs is enriched in deuterium to at least 8 VSMOW, which would mean that early Mars (4.5 billion years ago) had a global equivalent water layer at least 137 meters deep. ||||| A massive ancient ocean once covered nearly half of the northern hemisphere of Mars making the planet a more promising place for alien life to have gained a foothold, Nasa scientists say.

 The huge body of water spread over a fifth of the planet’s surface, as great a portion as the Atlantic covers the Earth, and was a mile deep in places. In total, the ocean held 20 million cubic kilometres of water, or more than is found in the Arctic Ocean, the researchers found.

 Unveiled by Nasa on Thursday, the compelling evidence for the primitive ocean adds to an emerging picture of Mars as a warm and wet world in its youth, which trickled with streams, winding river deltas, and long-standing lakes, soon after it formed 4.5bn years ago.

 The view of the planet’s ancient history radically re-writes what many scientists believed only a decade ago. Back then, flowing water was widely considered to have been a more erratic presence on Mars, gushing forth only rarely, and never forming long-standing seas and oceans.

 “A major question has been how much water did Mars actually have when it was young and how did it lose that water?�? said Michael Mumma, a senior scientist at Nasa Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

 Writing in the journal, Science, the Nasa team, and others at the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in Munich, provide an answer after studying Mars with three of the most powerful infra-red telescopes in the world.

 The scientists used the Keck II telescope and Nasa’s Infrared Telescope Facility, both in Hawaii, and the ESO’s Very Large Telescope in Chile, to make maps of the Martian atmosphere over six years. They looked specifically at how different forms of water molecules in the Martian air varied from place to place over the changing seasons.

 Martian water, like that on Earth, contains standard water molecules, made from two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, and another form of water made with a heavy isotope of hydrogen called deuterium. On Mars, water containing normal hydrogen is lost to space over time, but the heavier form is left behind.

 When normal water is lost on Mars, the concentration of deuterium in water left behind goes up. The process can be used to infer how much water there used to be on the planet. The higher the concentration of deuterium, the more water has been lost.

 Ancient Mars was a warm and wet planet

 The infrared maps show that water near the Martian ice caps is enriched with deuterium. The high concentration means that Mars must have lost a vast amount of water in the past, equivalent to more than six times that now locked up in the planet’s frozen ice caps.

 The scientists calculate that the amount of water was enough to create a global ocean that covered the entire surface of Mars to a depth of 137m. But Mars was probably never completely submerged. Based on the Martian terrain today, the scientists believe the water pooled into a much deeper ocean in the low-lying northern plains, creating an ocean that covered nearly a fifth of the planet’s surface. The Atlantic, by comparison, covers about 17% of Earth’s surface.

 “Ultimately we can conclude this idea of an ocean covering 20% of the planet which opens the idea of habitability and the evolution of life on the planet,�? said Geronimo Villanueva, the first author on the study.

 Methane on Mars: does it mean the Curiosity rover has found life? Read more

 The huge body of water lasted for millions of years. But over time, the Martian atmosphere thinned. The drop in pressure meant more ocean water wafted into space. The planet lost much of its insulation too. No longer warm enough to keep the water liquid, the ocean receded and eventually froze. Today, only 13% of the ocean remains, locked up the Martian polar caps.

 “We now know Mars was wet for a much longer time than we thought before,�? said Mumma. Nasa’s Curiosity rover has already shown that Mars had standing water for 1.5 billion years, longer than it took for life to emerge on Earth. “Now we see that Mars must have been wet for a period even longer,�? Mumma added.

 John Bridges, a planetary scientist at Leicester University, who works on Nasa’s Curiosity rover mission, said Mars was surely at least habitable in the distant past. “Ten years ago, the story of water on Mars was an occasional flood of rocky debris every 100m years that then switched off again. We now know it’s more continuous. There were long-standing bodies of water: lakes, deltas and perhaps even seas,�? he said.

 “It seems to me that we have excellent evidence that Mars was once habitable, though whether it was ever inhabited is not clear. But there’s a chance. A life-bearing meteorite might have been ejected from Earth and could have landed in the water on Mars,�? he added.

 The search for life on Mars will ramp up in 2018 when the European Space Agency sends its Exomars rover to the red planet. The rover will look for chemical signatures of life, perhaps emanating from microbes living deep beneath the Martian soil. Last year, Nasa’s Curiosity rover detected methane in the Martian atmosphere. The finding sparked intense speculation that the gas might be coming from living organisms. It might, but there is no evidence to suggest it is. Methane is regularly produced on planets through geological processes without any need for life.

 Charles Cockell, professor of astrobiology at Edinburgh University, said: “The longer water persists on a planetary body in one location, particularly if there is geological turnover, the more likely it is that it would provide a habitable environment for a suitable duration for life to either originate or proliferate. An ocean would meet this need.�? That life was possible does not make it inevitable though. “Of course, it could have been uninhabited,�? he added.

  ||||| View Images Originally Earth and Mars had identical proportions of ordinary hydrogen and deuterium in their water. But on Mars the ordinary hydrogen has been gradually leaking into outer space—the planet's thin atmosphere can be seen in this photo taken by the Viking 1 orbiter.

 Photograph by NASA

 Astronomers using some of the world's most powerful telescopes have determined that an ocean at least a mile deep covered a significant fraction of the Martian surface four billion years ago.

 This time, the evidence comes from an analysis of the water vapor that lingers today in the Martian atmosphere. A team of scientists led by Geronimo Villanueva, of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, took a series of measurements of sunlight reflecting off the Martian surface and through the atmosphere, which revealed the chemical composition of the atmosphere's vapor. The hydrogen in water, whether it's on Mars or on Earth, comes in two varieties: ordinary hydrogen, whose nuclei contain just a proton, and "heavy" hydrogen, also known as deuterium, with a proton and a neutron.

 An ancient sea once covered a fifth of the planet’s surface, astronomers found by calculating how much water the planet has lost over time.

 NASA/VILLANUEVA/MUMMA/GALLAGHER/FEIMER ET AL.

 Both Earth and Mars started out with identical proportions of ordinary hydrogen and deuterium in their water. But on Mars, with its weaker gravity, the ordinary hydrogen has been gradually leaking from the atmosphere out into space. As a result, Mars now has a higher proportion of deuterium in its water than Earth does—seven times as high, in fact. Since the scientists can estimate the escape rate that would have led to this imbalance, Geronimo and his co-authors can calculate how much water overall there once was.

 It would have been enough, they say, that if it had covered the entire planet evenly, it would have reached a depth of about 450 feet (137 meters). In practice, says Geronimo, "it probably would have formed an ocean in the northern hemisphere, which has a consistently lower altitude."

 "Their results are quite believable," says James Kasting, a planetary scientist at Penn State. But they probably suggest only the minimum amount of water that pooled on the ancient surface of Mars, he says. "My guess is that the true amount of water was much larger."

 The reason: A paper Kasting co-authored in 2014 argues that the early Martian atmosphere was unusually rich in heavy hydrogen and that much of it escaped along with the ordinary variety. That would skew any calculations based on today's values, he says.

 Either way, the evidence continues to mount that Mars was once far wetter—and, since the water was mostly in liquid form rather than in the icy polar caps where it's now locked up, much warmer—than it is today. That, along with increasing signs that the ancient chemical environment was hospitable to biology, means support for the notion that life might once have existed on Mars is only getting stronger. |||||Summary:

– Imagine all the water in the Arctic Ocean. Now, imagine all that and more on Mars. If you visited the Red Planet roughly 4.3 billion years ago, that's what you likely would have found, say NASA scientists. Their new study arrived at that "solid estimate ... by determining how much water was lost to space," says lead author Geronimo Villanueva. The Guardian reports the scientists used three powerful infrared telescopes to analyze two forms of water in Mars' atmosphere: H2O and HDO, in which deuterium (aka "heavy" hydrogen) has taken the place of one hydrogen atom. As National Geographic explains, Mars' gravity is weaker than our own; that allowed hydrogen to escape from the atmosphere and into space over time, boosting the amount of deuterium in its water. Scientists compared the ratio of HDO to H2O in Martian water today with that in water from a 4.5 billion-year-old Mars meteorite to arrive at their conclusions, a press release states. They ultimately calculated that Mars was once home to 20 million cubic kilometers of ocean. It could have covered every inch of the planet in water 450 feet deep, but the scientists think a different scenario is more likely: that the ocean covered roughly a fifth of the planet, was located in the northern hemisphere, and was as much as a mile deep. While National Geographic observes the findings back up "reams of earlier evidence that water once existed on the surface" of Mars, another study author points out the assessment of the degree of water lost indicates something new. "The planet was very likely wet for a longer period of time than was previously thought, suggesting it might have been habitable for longer," a scientist says. (Mysterious plumes on Mars are stumping scientists.)


News article:

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Wang Qi was happy to be reunited with family members.

 A Chinese man who was trapped in India for more than 50 years has finally been reunited with his family.

 The BBC had reported how Wang Qi, an army surveyor who says he accidentally crossed into India in 1963, had not been given the necessary documents to leave the country.

 Following the report, he was visited by Chinese diplomats, who told him efforts were being made to take him back.

 Mr Wang was met by family members when his flight landed in Beijing.

 Later, in his home city of Xianyang, crowds met him with banners reading "Welcome home, soldier, it's been a rough journey".

 Mr Wang flew out from Delhi on Friday night accompanied by his adult children.

 Chinese officials took him and his family shopping in a Delhi mall before they boarded the flight.

 Mr Wang had been given a document by the Indian Foreign Ministry stating that he was cleared to leave. His family were given Indian passports so that they could leave with him if they wished.

 His wife, an Indian citizen, was sick and did not accompany him.

 Image caption It is not clear if Mr Wang will return to his Indian family

 Image caption Mr Wang's mother died in 2006 before he could go back to see her

 It is not clear if Mr Wang plans to return to India. He was never granted citizenship and was given a Chinese passport in 2013.

 Mr Wang says he was "tasked with building roads for the Chinese army" and was captured when he "strayed erroneously" into India's territory in January 1963.

 "I had gone out of my camp for a stroll but lost my way. I was tired and hungry. I saw a Red Cross vehicle and asked them to help me. They handed me over to the Indian army," he said.

 He spent the next seven years in a number of different jails before a court ordered his release in 1969.

 Police took him to Tirodi, a far-flung village in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. He had not been allowed to leave the country since.

 Instead he worked at a flour mill, eventually marrying a local woman and raising a family. Neighbours said they lived in "utter poverty". ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Wang Qi yearns to meet his family in China

 In 1963 a Chinese army surveyor crossed into India and was captured, weeks after a war between the countries. Wang Qi has been unable to leave India ever since - and longs to see his family in China. BBC Hindi's Vineet Khare met him.

 Tirodi village is a nearly five-hour drive from the nearest airport in Nagpur in central India.

 I am here to meet Wang Qi, a Chinese army surveyor who entered India in 1963 but could never go back. For over five decades, he has been longing to see his family back home.

 Sporting cropped white hair, black trainers and a body warmer, Mr Wang, who is now in his eighties, hugs me when we meet. We are about to try and make video contact with his family more than 3,000km (1,864 miles) away in China.

 Together we go to the government office, which is the only centre equipped with internet for miles around.

 Image caption "I couldn't recognise him. He looked so old. He said he was alive just for me."

 He watches in anticipation as I dial and then his eyes light up as the image of his elder brother Wang Zhiyuan, 82, appears on the screen, seated on a sofa in Xianyang, a city in China's Shaanxi province.

 The two brothers are seeing each other after more than 50 years. The conversation in Mandarin lasts 17 minutes.

 "I couldn't recognise him. He looked so old. He said he was alive just for me," Wang Qi, also known by his Indian name Raj Bahadur, tells me in strongly accented Hindi as his three Indian-born children gather around to comfort him.

 Mr Wang's story is a long and sad one.

 Born to a farmer family in Shaanxi with four brothers and two sisters, he studied surveying and joined China's People's Liberation Army in 1960.

 Mr Wang says he was "tasked with building roads for the Chinese army" and was captured when he "strayed erroneously" inside India's territory in January 1963.

 "I had gone out of my camp for a stroll but lost my way. I was tired and hungry. I saw a Red Cross vehicle and asked them to help me. They handed me over to the Indian army," he said.

 Image caption Mr Wang's mother died in 2006 before he could go back and see her

 Indian officials said Mr Wang "intruded into India" and gave "false background and the circumstances" about his whereabouts to the authorities.

 He spent the next seven years in a number of different jails before a court ordered his release in 1969.

 Police took him to Tirodi, a far-flung village in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. He has not been allowed to leave the country ever since.

 It's still not clear whether Mr Wang is a prisoner of war. But he has been denied official Indian documents or citizenship and also been denied permission to travel back. His family says Mr Wang needs a document to exit India.

 Senior local official Bharat Yadav agrees that there have been "deficiencies" and a "lack of interest" in the case.

 "There are no suspicions about his actions. If he wants to go back, we will try and help him," he said.

 An official at the Chinese embassy, which helped him secure a passport in 2013, acknowledged he was aware of the issue. A response to questions sent to India's federal home ministry is still awaited.

 It has been a long, excruciating wait for Mr Wang.

 Image caption Wang Qi joined China's People's Liberation Army in 1960

 Be it language, food or a vastly different society, Mr Wang has had to adapt every step of the way.

 "I began by working in a flour mill. But I cried in the night as I longed for my family. I missed my mother," he said.

 "I wondered what I had got into."

 Mr Wang married a local girl, Sushila, under "pressure from friends" in 1975.

 "I was livid with my parents for marrying me off to an outsider. I had trouble understanding his language. I tolerated him for a few months. Then I got used to him," she says with a smile.

 Mr Wang tried his hand at business but his undefined legal status meant visits by local police.

 Image caption Mr Wang married a local girl, Sushila, under "pressure from friends" in 1975

 "I remember Mr Wang being beaten by the police for not bribing them. He was an honest man," says BB Singh, his neighbour for many years.

 "He always talked about his home in China. His family lived in utter poverty. He would cycle for miles with no break," another former neighbour Jayanti Lal Waghela says.

 Mr Wang wrote letters home but received his first reply only in the 1980s. Family pictures were exchanged.

 He spoke to his mother for the first time in more than 40 years on the phone in 2002.

 "She said she wanted to see me as her last days were near. I said I was trying to return. I wrote letters to everyone who mattered to provide me with exit documents but nothing moved."

 She died in 2006.

 Image caption Mr Wang's family in China

 Mr Wang's nephew met him when he came to India as a tourist in 2009.

 It was he who helped him to get the necessary documents for his passport.

 It is still not clear whether Wang Qi will be able to go to China - and if he did, would he want to return to India?

 "My family is here. Where would I go?" he says, playing with his granddaughter in his lap.

 Sushila is worried though. "I hope he comes back." ||||| China has changed quite a bit in 54 years. In between, there was the Cultural Revolution, the economic revolution and a revolution in how people communicate.

 For Chinese Peoples Liberation Army surveyor Wang Qi, the five decades also meant the inevitable greying of years and hair. Maybe memories too.

 He was 23 when he strayed across the inhospitable and mostly disputed border between India and China, two countries that had once gone to war over it.

 On Saturday, at 77, Wang returned home. Along with family: Vishnu Wang, daughter Anita Wankhede, daughter-in-law Neha Wang and grandson Khanak Wang.

 Read | Chinese soldier trapped in India despite relentless efforts: Foreign ministry

 Online China erupted over Wang’s return.

 “Left home young and return old, the accent has not been changed but the hair has been gray. Welcome the veteran back home, and welcome him to watch the Yellow river and have a bowl of noodles,” said one user.

 India got both bricks and bouquet.

 “He is a surveying and mapping soldier. It’s humanitarian for Indian that do not kill him at once. It’s also reasonable that do not allow him to come back. Now after decades, they finally let him back,” said one user.

 “In 1963, Wang, a Chinese army surveyor, got lost, crossed the border and was captured by Indian authorities. He was moved from one jail to another for nearly seven years when he was finally released in 1969, police escorted him to the remote village of Tirodi in Madhya Pradesh and told him to start a life there. He married a local woman, and they had three children and grandchildren,” state-run China Daily said in a widely followed report.

 Last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, Lu Kang subtly indicated that Indian diplomacy and bureaucracy held up Wang’s return.

 Read | Five decades and counting: A Chinese POW in MP still waits for permit to go home

 “In recent years, Chinese embassy to India had kept in close touch with Wang Qi and made relentless effort to help him return to China including pushing Indian side on exit and entry procedures for him,” Lu said.

 “In 2013, the Embassy issued a 10-year Chinese passport to him and provided living allowance for him every year since then. I believe that with the joint efforts of China and India, and respecting the will of Wang Qi himself, the case will be properly solved,” he said.

 The China Daily report said that on February 4, Luo Zhaohui, China’s ambassador to India, spoke by telephone with Wang and expressed sympathy over his suffering over the years.

 “Yan Xiaoce, a counselor at the Chinese embassy in India, visited Wang’s village on the same day,” the report said.

 “Liu Shurong, another Chinese veteran, underwent the same plight as Wang and lives in the same village. But Liu said he had no intention to return to China because he no longer has family there”, the embassy told China Daily.

 Wang is eager to taste noodles, a local specialty in Shaanxi, after arriving home. Yes, the bowl of noodles is warm and waiting.

 Read | MEA checking details of Chinese soldier who crossed over in 1963 |||||
What is a shorter version of the above article?

– In 1963, a 23-year-old surveyor for the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army accidentally crossed the border into India. He remained stuck there for 54 years, making it back to his homeland only last week, reports the BBC. The strange tale of Wang Qi starts with a nighttime stroll away from camp. He told the BBC in a previous interview that he got lost and was "tired and hungry." He found a Red Cross vehicle and asked for help, only to be turned over to the Indian army. After nearly seven years in various jails, authorities relocated Wang to a remote village, the Hindustan Times reports. He was not allowed to return to China, however, but nor was he given Indian citizenship. He lived in a kind of limbo. "I cried in the night," Wang says of those first years in India. "I missed my mother." He eventually married, worked at a flour mill, and had children and grandchildren, but he never stopped hoping to return home. A spokesperson for the Chinese government blames Indian bureaucracy for preventing Wang's return over the past half-century. But after being visited by a delegation from the Chinese embassy in recent weeks, visas were procured for Wang and his relatives. His wife was too sick to travel, but Wang arrived in Beijing on Friday with his adult children, where they were met by his surviving relatives. This is only a visit, however. "My family is (in India)," he says. "Where would I go?" (For this soldier, WWII didn't end until 1974.)