India's Space Journey: Insights from Former ISRO Chief K Sivan

In a shocking incident from Belagavi, Karnataka, two suspects have been arrested in connection with the gang-rape of a 15-year-old girl, while four others remain at large. The police report indicates that the young girl was raped twice by the same group of six individuals, with the first incident occurring approximately six months ago. According to authorities, one of the accused, a friend of the victim, lured her to a secluded area where the assault took place, and the act was filmed. The accused subsequently blackmailed the girl with threats of releasing the video, which led to a second incident of rape. Following her courageous decision to report the crime, an FIR was registered under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act and other relevant laws. In response to the complaint, police arrested two suspects on the day the FIR was filed and have initiated a search for the remaining perpetrators. This case has drawn attention to the severe issue of sexual violence against minors in India.

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.