NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore have returned safely to Earth after spending over nine months aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Their mission, originally scheduled for just eight days, extended unexpectedly due to technical issues, subjecting them to prolonged exposure to microgravity and other space-related conditions. The Crew-9 capsule successfully splashed down near the coast of Florida, USA, concluding their extended stay. The mission, whic

Baidu has unveiled two powerful new artificial intelligence (AI) models — Ernie 4.5 and Ernie X1 — marking a significant advancement in the company's AI capabilities. While Ernie 4.5 is the latest foundation model designed to excel in multimodal understanding, Ernie X1 is Baidu’s first “deep-thinking” AI model focused on complex reasoning and logic. The company has also announced that its popular chatbot platform, Ernie Bot, will now be free to access without

In a major immigration reform move, US President Donald Trump has proposed a new visa scheme that offers a 'gold card' residency permit to foreigners willing to invest $5 million in the United States. This initiative aims to attract “brilliant, hardworking, job-creating people” while generating significant government revenue to balance the federal budget. Described as “like the green car

NASA has confirmed that astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore, who have been stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for over nine months, are finally set to return to Earth. The two astronauts initially embarked on a 10-day mission but remained in space far longer than planned due to propulsion malfunctions in their Boeing Starliner spacecraft. The much-anticipated return journey will now be carried out using the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, which successfully docked a

In a rapidly evolving AI landscape, yet another Chinese AI model has made headlines. Following the buzz created by DeepSeek’s R1 model, a new AI system called Manus is now generating significant interest in the tech world. Developed by the Chinese startup Monica, Manus is being compared to some of the most advanced AI models from OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic. Manus is designed to function as an autonomous AI agent capable of completing complex tasks independently. Those who have experi

India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission has made groundbreaking discoveries about the presence of lunar ice, indicating that frozen water deposits may be more abundant and accessible than previously believed.The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully landed Chandrayaan-3 near the Moon's South Pole on August 23, 2023, marking a significant achievement in lunar exploration. New data from the mission has provided crucial insights into temperature variations that affect ice format

For centuries, humans have gazed at the night sky, pondering the mysteries of the universe. But what if those mysteries are not just distant wonders, but tangible objects already drifting through our own Solar System? Scientists now believe that material from Alpha Centauri, our closest stellar neighbor, may have made its way into our cosmic backyard—and possibly even to Earth.A new study suggests that tiny fragments from Alpha Centauri, a three-star system located just over four light-

The Department of Government Efficiency, known as the DOGE initiative, was introduced to streamline government spending by reducing the number of federal employees and eliminating programs that do not align with President Trump's policies. The initiative was presented as a necessary response to the growing $36 trillion national debt. One of its first major actions was the removal of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, a move that has been met with both support and criticism. While

ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) has successfully completed the integration of the liquid propulsion system for the Crew Module of Gaganyaan, India's first human spaceflight mission. On January 21, 2025, ISRO dispatched the Crew Module to the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota for further processing and integration. This uncrewed mission, known as Gaganyaan (G1), is a crucial step in ISRO's efforts to acquire human spaceflight capabilities. The Crew

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the most advanced telescope ever built, has provided a groundbreaking view of the universe by revealing detailed 3D maps of interstellar dust and gas. Recently, it captured the infrared glow of this cosmic material, showing delicate patterns that resemble wood grain. This discovery marks the first time scientists have been able to map the interstellar medium in such detail. The findings offer a fresh perspective on star formation and galaxy evo

Overview of ISRO's START 2025 Program: ISRO Chairman S Somanath delivered a keynote speech at the launch of the Space Science and Technology Awareness Training (START 2025) program, emphasizing the role of space science beyond the excitement of becoming astronomers. He explained that space science involves rigorous and time-consuming work that requires years of persistent effort and expertise. He shared that this year’s program will involve 20,000 students from more than 560

The University of Hyderabad (UoH) has opened applications for the 2025-27 MBA programme. Interested candidates can apply via the official websites acad.uohyd.ac.in and uohyd.ac.in. The deadline for submission is January 15, 2025. Applicants must have a minimum of a three-year first-class Bachelor's degree, with 60% marks or equivalent, and must have appeared for CAT 2024. Shortlisted candidates will undergo a Grou

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, follows the lunar calendar and is one of the most significant cultural celebrations for the Chinese people. In 2025, Chinese New Year will begin on January 29, ushering in the "Year of the Wood Snake." The Chinese zodiac, which consists of 12 animals, assigns one animal and one element (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) to each year. In 2025, the Snake is paired with the element Wood, which symbolizes adaptability and creativity. T

NASA has announced delays to its Artemis program, which aims to return humans to the Moon. The first crewed lunar mission, Artemis 2, will now take place in April 2026, pushed back from its original launch window in September 2025. The second mission, Artemis 3, which seeks to land astronauts on the Moon for the first time in over 50 years, has been rescheduled from late 2026 to mid-2027. The delays, revealed on December 5, are attributed to technical issues discovered during the Ar

China has officially approved the construction of what is set to be the world's largest hydropower dam, located on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet. This ambitious project, which will span the lower reaches of the river, is expected to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, far surpassing the Three Gorges Dam's output of 88.2 billion kWh. The new dam is also seen as a significant step toward China’s goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, alongside

NASA's Dawn spacecraft, which orbited asteroid Vesta in 2012, captured images of enigmatic gullies on the asteroid's surface, prompting scientists to investigate their origins. A recent study published in the Planetary Science Journal explores the possibility that these gullies were formed by brief liquid flows involving briny water. Researchers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) simulated conditions similar to Vesta's surface using the Dirty Under-vacuum Simul

The United States imposed sanctions on four Pakistani entities on Wednesday, including the National Development Complex (NDC), a key state-owned aerospace and defense agency responsible for Pakistan's ballistic missile program. The sanctions, announced by US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller, target entities involved in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems, specifically missiles. These sanctions freeze US property linked to the targeted co

Space One, a Tokyo-based space startup, faced another setback in its mission to develop Japan's domestic space industry when its second rocket launch was aborted minutes after liftoff. The Kairos No. 2 rocket, designed to carry small satellites into orbit, launched from Spaceport Kii in the Wakayama prefecture on Wednesday. The rocket's trajectory became unstable shortly after takeoff, leading to a termination of the flight about 10 minutes in. The mission, which carried five satellit

NASA has announced that astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who have been stranded on the International Space Station (ISS) since June, will remain in space at least until late March 2025. Originally, they were meant to spend just eight days aboard the ISS, but due to issues with Boeing's Starliner spacecraft's propulsion system, their mission was altered. After Starliner faced difficulties, NASA decided to send the astronauts back with the Crew-9 mission, which arrived in S

Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, has become embroiled in a new scandal involving an alleged Chinese spy. The businessman, identified only as "H6" for legal reasons, gained significant trust from the Duke of York, reportedly even acting on his behalf in an international financial initiative related to China. Court documents reveal that H6 had such a close relationship with Prince Andrew that he was invited to the Duke's birthday party and granted access to