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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday gave a stern reply to the 'criticism' on India's purchase of Russian oil, while strongly asserting that the world is realising the need to be at the negotiating table to resolve the nearly three-year long Russia-Ukraine conflict. Being asked about getting 'cheap oil' from Russia, Mr Jaishankar in a stern reply said, "I get oil, yes. It is not necessarily cheap. Do you have a better deal?" Mr Jaishankar was speaking at the 22nd edition of the Doha Forum panel on 'Conflict Resolution in a New Era' where Qatar Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Norway Foreign Minister, Espen Barth Eide were also present. "Pleased to participate @DohaForumpanel today on the topic "Conflict Resolution in a New Era" in Doha today along with PM & FM@MBA_Al Thani_of Qatar and FM @EspenBarthEide of Norway. As the conflicts around us increase, the need of the hour i...

A significant portion of Earth's biodiversity faces extinction by the end of the century if current greenhouse gas emissions continue unchecked, according to findings published in Science on December 5. The study, which reviewed over 450 research papers spanning 30 years, highlights the escalating threat climate change poses to global species, particularly amphibians and those in mountain, island, and freshwater ecosystems. The analysis draws attention to the urgent need for targeted conservation efforts and stricter climate action. Climate Change and Rising Extinction Risks The research , conducted by Mark Urban, a biologist at the University of Connecticut, analysed the impact of various warming scenarios on species survival, as per reports. The findings suggest that maintaining global temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius, as outlined in the Paris Agreement, could limit extinction risks. However, a rise of 1.5 degrees Celsius could still place approximately 180,000...

Europe's Vega-C rocket has resumed operations, achieving a successful launch on December 5, 2024, after a two-year suspension due to a failure during its previous mission. The rocket, operated by French aerospace company Arianespace, carried the Copernicus Sentinel-1C Earth-observation satellite into orbit. The launch took place at 4:20 p.m. EST from the Guiana Space Centre in Kourou, French Guiana, following a postponed attempt caused by a mechanical issue on December 4. Launch Details and Mission Objectives As per sources, the Vega-C rocket deployed Sentinel-1C into a sun-synchronous orbit approximately 435 miles (700 km) above Earth. The satellite , part of the European Union's Copernicus Earth-observation programme, serves as a replacement for Sentinel-1B, which became non-operational due to a technical fault in 2022. Sentinel-1C will work alongside Sentinel-1A to capture high-resolution imagery of Earth's surface, providing critical data for environmental monitorin...

SpaceX has announced the successful completion of its first Starlink satellite constellation designed to provide direct internet connectivity to standard mobile phones. According to reports, the achievement was marked by the launch of 20 Starlink satellites, including 13 equipped with direct-to-cell capabilities. The launch occurred on December 4, 2024, at 10:05 PM EST from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This development aims to address connectivity challenges in underserved and remote areas by eliminating the need for specialised equipment. New Era in Direct-to-Cell Connectivity Of the 20 satellites launched, 13 are equipped with direct-to-cell connectivity capabilities, as stated by SpaceX founder Elon Musk in a post on X (formerly Twitter) early Thursday morning. Musk confirmed that the deployment of these satellites completes the first shell of Starlink's direct-to-cell network. He added that this system will allow unmodified mobile phones to access internet ...

China has reportedly launched its latest Long March-12 rocket from the newly established Wenchang Commercial Space Launch Site, marking a significant milestone in its commercial space ambitions. The launch occurred on November 30, 2024, propelling two experimental satellites into orbit. The 62.6-metre rocket is designed to support a growing surge in commercial satellite deployments, as reported by Chinese state media. Key Features of Long March-12 As per a report by China state media, the two-stage Long March-12 rocket uses advanced kerosene and liquid hydrogen fuels, replacing older hypergolic propellants. According to the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, the vehicle can transport 10 tons to low-Earth orbit or six tons to a sun-synchronous orbit at 700 kilometers. In an interview with China Daily, Xie Li, Senior Designer of Long March-12, explained that the rocket is equipped with an automatic ignition-malfunction detection system, which ensures safer launches by perf...

US President-elect Donald Trump has had a positive political view of India and it is in a much more advantageous position than many other countries to build "deeper" relations with his administration and take forward the bilateral ties, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday. In an interactive session at industry chamber ASSOCHAM, Mr Jaishankar at the same time noted that like many other countries, India may also have some issues and it will deal with them. The External Affairs Minister said there are countries which are looking at Trump 2.0 as a political challenge but for India, that is not the case. "We'll have to work out a political equation with America and that is one area where we score because we've always had a positive political relationship with Trump. I would say Trump has always had a positive political view of India," he said. "Like everybody else, we may also have some issues. We will deal with those issues, but I wo...