India's Space Journey: A Conversation with ISRO's Former Chief K Sivan

At least 30 individuals have died in the northeastern states of India over the past two days due to severe flash floods and landslides, as reported by local officials. The states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, and Mizoram have been significantly affected by the extreme weather. In recent incidents, seven members from two families tragically lost their lives in Arunachal Pradesh's East Kameng district when their vehicle was swept off a road by a landslide. In Assam, five people died from similar incidents as heavy rainfall impacted the region, with one district reporting 111 mm of rain within a single day, breaking previous records. According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority, around 60,000 residents across 12 districts have been affected, especially in Kamrup Metropolitan district. Weather agencies have issued red and orange alerts for parts of Assam, highlighting the imminent danger due to rising water levels in rivers, including the Brahmaputra. Arunachal Pradesh Home Minister Mama Natung expressed his condolences and urged residents to exercise caution during the ongoing monsoon season.

The James Webb Space Telescope has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by capturing the deepest and clearest image of the universe to date, offering a glimpse into the 'Cosmic Dawn,' a period when the universe was just a few hundred million years old. This significant photograph focused on the galaxy cluster 'Abell S1063,' situated approximately 4.5 billion light years from Earth, according to scientists involved in the project. Previously observed by the Hubble Telescope, the James Webb's advanced infrared camera, NIRCam, enabled a deeper exploration of this region. The telescope continuously captured data for 120 hours, merging nine images into one remarkable picture. Notably, behind the larger galaxies, faint lines of light were observed, attributed to extremely distant galaxies made visible through the gravitational lensing effect. This discovery suggests that some galaxies formed as early as 200 million years after the universe began, providing critical insight into the birth of stars. Officials from the space observatory remarked that this breakthrough brings humanity closer to understanding the universe's earliest epochs.

A leaked international report has revealed significant military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, in flagrant violation of United Nations sanctions. According to findings by the Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) based in Seoul, Russia has transferred advanced military equipment, including Pantsir-S1 mobile air defense systems, to North Korea since late 2024. These systems, designed for short-range defense, can intercept enemy aircraft and missiles and have an operational range of 1.2 to 20 kilometers. The report claims that since September 2023, North Korea has sent approximately 20,000 containers of military supplies to Russia, which reportedly includes over nine million artillery shells and hundreds of tactical missiles. Russia is also accused of providing North Korea with assistance in enhancing its missile guidance capabilities, a serious breach of UN Security Council resolutions. In addition to military supplies, the MSMT report notes that Russia has exceeded UN-mandated limits by transferring over one million barrels of crude oil to North Korea. The MSMT, formed in 2024, includes 11 countries and aims to uphold sanctions enforcement against North Korea.