The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents is expected to make a pivotal decision regarding the next chancellor to lead its vast network of 11 universities and eight state agencies. The board, which is meeting in Houston, could vote on a sole finalist for the position, initiating a mandatory 21-day waiting period before finalizing the appointment. According to sources familiar with the search process, the board has identified five candidates for c

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is concluding her extended space mission after spending over eight months in space. Williams, along with fellow astronaut Butch Willmore, shared details about the upcoming Crew-10 mission in an exclusive conversation with CNN. The mission will launch from Earth on March 12 and dock with the International Space Station (ISS), where the astronauts will conduct their duties before handing over responsibilities to a new Space Station Commander. Williams, who is curr

A closed-door meeting took place in Davangere, Karnataka, attended by several prominent Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes leaders, including key ministers such as G Parameshwara, Satish Jarkiholi, HC Mahadevappa, K Rajanna, and Yathindra Siddaramaiah, son of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The gathering took place during the Maharshi Valmiki Jatra Mahotsava at Valmiki Matha in Rajanahalli, Harihar. Speculation about the meeting being linked to a potential change in the Karnataka Pradesh Cong

The Maha Kumbh Mela, the largest religious gathering in the world, was captured in stunning detail from the International Space Station (ISS). NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared breathtaking images of the event on Sunday, which showed the illuminated banks of the Ganga, reflecting the vibrant energy of the religious congregation. The images revealed the vast scale of the gathering, with radiant lights from the devotees creating a majestic spectacle visible from space. Pettit, an Ameri

Janet Petro has been appointed as the acting administrator of NASA, making history as the first woman to hold the position since the agency’s founding in 1958. This appointment comes after President Donald Trump took office, with Petro replacing Bill Nelson, the 14th NASA administrator. In her new role, Petro is responsible for overseeing NASA’s budget, programs, and operations until the U.S. Senate confirms a new administrator. Notably, Trump had nominated entrepreneur

Rishabh Pant Appointed Captain of LSG for IPL 2025 Indian cricket team wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant has been named the captain of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) for the upcoming IPL 2025 season. Pant, who was previously the captain of Delhi Capitals (DC), was bought by LSG for a record-breaking Rs 27 crore in the IPL 2025 auction. The decision came after a bidding war between LSG and DC, with LSG winning the deal. Pant’s IPL Journey and Record Auction

NASA is preparing to launch the Lunar Environment Heliospheric X-ray Imager (LEXI) to the moon to gather groundbreaking data on Earth’s magnetosphere. LEXI will capture high-resolution images of the magnetosphere's movements, offering crucial insights into how it reacts to solar wind and space weather conditions. This mission is designed to enhance our understanding of space weather, which impacts satellites, electronics, and infrastructure on Earth. The LEXI instrument wi

A groundbreaking new theory suggests that Pluto's moon Charon may have been captured in a "kiss and capture" scenario billions of years ago, offering a fresh perspective on the formation of planetary systems. Led by NASA postdoctoral fellow Adeene Denton at the U of A Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, this study challenges long-standing models of moon formation. Instead of the traditional collision model, the researchers propose that Pluto and Charon had a brief, icy encounter, wh

Rohit Sharma’s future in Test cricket has come under scrutiny after the Indian opener was left out of the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney. Officially, Rohit "opted to rest" from the game, but this decision has raised questions about his long-term role in the format. Sunil Gavaskar, one of India's cricketing legends, speculated that this might signal the end of Rohit's Test career, suggesting that the selection committee may look to younger players who can lead t

Rohit Sharma's future in India's Test cricket setup has become uncertain following the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. Amidst poor batting performances and leadership criticism after India's loss to New Zealand, reports suggest that Rohit may not be part of India's Test plans beyond this series. Although his retirement is not imminent, the chances of his continuation in the format remain unclear. With Rohit possibly on the brink of his final Test ap

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

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

Om Prakash Chautala, a five-time Chief Minister of Haryana and a prominent figure in Indian politics, has passed away at 89 following a cardiac arrest at his residence in Gurgaon. Born on January 1, 1935, in Sirsa, Haryana, Chautala’s political career spanned several decades. He first became Chief Minister in 1989, but his tenure was marked by short stints due to political instability. His third term in 1991 was also brief, as President's rule was imposed within two weeks. However,

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

The Indian rupee opened at 84.83 against the US dollar on Monday, a depreciation of 4 paise compared to the previous close of 84.79. The decline in the rupee is largely attributed to the uncertainty following the announcement of a leadership transition at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Shaktikanta Das will be succeeded by Sanjay Malhotra, sparking initial concerns in the market. However, markets quickly adjusted to the news, with experts noting that the RBI is closely monitoring banking sys

NASA is pioneering new frontiers in space exploration with the development of tiny underwater robots through the Sensing With Independent Micro-swimmers (SWIM) project. These innovative robots are designed to explore extraterrestrial oceans, beginning with the icy waters beneath Jupiter's moon, Europa. SWIM robots were recently tested in a Caltech swimming pool, demonstrating their ability to navigate autonomously. The SWIM project is an integral part of NASA's broader strat

A groundbreaking study using data from NASA and German satellites has revealed a concerning and persistent decline in Earth's freshwater reserves since May 2014. The findings, published in Surveys in Geophysics, highlight a significant reduction in the amount of freshwater stored on land, including in lakes, rivers, and underground aquifers. This shift, tracked by the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission, suggests a transition towards drier conditions across co

A powerful solar flare, classified as an X2.3 flare, disrupted radio communications over parts of the Atlantic Ocean, South America, and Africa on November 6, 2024. The event, which took place at 8:40 am ET, caused a shortwave radio blackout, highlighting the significant impact solar flares can have on global communications. NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which constantly monitors solar activity, captured images of the flare. Solar flares are intense bursts of energy

That Andhra Pradesh state IT and education minister Nara Lokesh is gradually emerging as the heir apparent of his father and chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu is being established gradually in the TDP and also the government. The way the TDP ranks have been calling Lokesh the future chief minister of Andhra Pradesh on social media and the state government carrying his picture on the front page advertisements of the official programmes along with his father clearly indicated that Lokesh is em

NASA's Parker Solar Probe is about to make its final gravity assist flyby of Venus on November 6, 2024, a key maneuver that will adjust its trajectory as it sets course for the closest-ever approach to the Sun. After this flyby, Parker will come within just 3.86 million miles of the Sun on December 24, 2024, breaking records and allowing scientists to study the Sun’s outer atmosphere (the corona) and solar wind at unprecedented proximity. The Parker Solar Probe, which laun