Category: Life & Style

Australia has launched the First Work and Holiday Visa, which allows Indian citizens aged 18 to 30 to work and study in Australia for up to a year. The new program, part of Australia’s Working Holiday Maker visa, begins a ballot procedure for up to 1,000 eligible Indian passport holders, with registrations open from October 1 to October 31, 2024, for the 2024-2025 program year.

Selected applicants, notified via email between October 14, 2024, and April 30, 2025, may apply for this visa, which costs $650 plus a $25 ballot fee. The automated ballot mechanism, which is open to Indian, Chinese, and Vietnamese nationals, provides a fair outcome. Successful applicants must pass a health and character screening.

Australia’s Assistant Minister for Immigration, Matt Thistlethwaite, describes the visa as a step towards improving Australia-India ties by providing young Indians with an immersive cultural experience. Mayank Maheshwari of University LivingThrough stated that this program offers vital job possibilities, vocational training, and the opportunity to increase English skills, all of which promote cultural interaction and economic progress.

This project follows India’s recent inclusion in Australia’s Working Holiday Maker program, established under the AI-ECTA, strengthening the two countries’ economic and cultural ties.

On October 8, 29-year-old Salmoda, Uttarakhand mountaineer Sheetal Raj, became the first Indian woman to reach the summit of Mt. Cho Oyu, which stands at 8,188 meters.

Her journey to success wasn’t a simple one. She underwent knee surgery after tearing a ligament while skiing two years ago, raising concerns about the future of her mountaineering career. In spite of the setback, Raj found motivation in the movie 12th Fail, which rekindled her enthusiasm and helped her overcome challenges with the help of the Hans Foundation and the Ethical Himalaya Expedition.

Raj started her mountaineering journey early. She fulfilled her childhood dream in 2019 by climbing Everest and became the youngest woman to reach Kanchenjunga at the age of 22. Her family has been a source of support and pride, especially her father, who works as a taxi driver. Yogesh Garbyal, Raj’s trainer, commended her tenacity, pointing out that she never stops working towards achieving her goals.

When Ram Nath Kovind, the president at the time, presented Raj with the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2021, her reputation as an Indian climbing pioneer became even more solidified.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya launched the e-Migrate 2.0 web and mobile app on Thursday, signalling a significant step forward in India’s commitment to secure and transparent mobility for migrant workers.

Jaishankar emphasised that the new portal symbolises the government’s continued goal to protect the rights and welfare of Indian workers overseas, particularly in line with Prime Minister Modi’s slogan, “Surakshit Jaayen, Prashikshit Jaayen.”

This updated e-Migrate platform not only intends to speed operations, but it also emphasises the overarching goal of encouraging orderly and lawful migration as established in the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The new portal provides 24-hour multilingual hotline services, Digilocker integration, and access to insurance and digital payments through the State Bank of India, which improves ease and security for workers abroad.

At the event, Jaishankar voiced confidence in India’s ability to meet global demand for qualified workers, particularly in the Gulf. He emphasised the considerable improvements in India’s passport issuing and how this site promotes India’s role in global mobility.

Leh, Ladakh, saw auroras light up the night sky on Thursday after a strong geomagnetic storm hit Earth. Usually occurring at higher latitudes, this unusual phenomenon can be seen from India’s tallest observatory located near Hanle. However, observations at lower latitudes have been made possible by this year’s strong solar activity.

The Associated Press reported that comparable aurora displays were seen in Alabama and New Mexico. The “aurora borealis,” often known as the northern lights, are caused by coronal mass ejections mixing with atmospheric gases to produce colours: green and red from oxygen and blue and purple from nitrogen.

Indian Department of Science and Technology telescopes took images of red auroras in Leh. Originating from a solar flare on October 9 that was travelling at 1.5 million miles per hour, the geomagnetic storm was categorised by NOAA as G4, indicating extreme conditions that might potentially interfere with satellite operations and electrical grids.

Eleven-year cycles of maximum solar activity are predicted to occur, with the current cycle ending in 2025. It is possible that Earth will see more powerful solar storms and aurora sightings until 2026 due to this time of increased solar activity.

Ladakh currently has the world’s highest Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) observatory in Hanle, located at an altitude of over 4,300 meters. This state-of-the-art imaging Cherenkov telescope, the largest in Asia, demonstrates India’s progress in cosmic ray and space research.

Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, opened the facility as part of the DAE’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

The observatory, built entirely by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) with backing from the Electronics Corporation of India Limited and other industry partners, represents a significant step forward in India’s scientific capabilities. During the occasion, Dr. Mohanty unveiled commemorative plaques honouring this important milestone in Indian astronomy.

Additional Secretary Ajay Ramesh Sule emphasised the importance of balancing tourism and scientific operations within the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve and encouraged youngsters to seek professions in science. Dr. S.M. Yusuf, Director of BARC’s Physics Group, emphasised the importance of the telescope in investigating high-energy gamma rays and phenomena such as supernovae, black holes, and gamma-ray bursts.

A photographic compilation documenting the MACE project’s journey was produced, and local community leaders, including the Hanle village headmaster and the lama of Hanle Gompa, were honoured.

South Korean novelist Han Kang has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Literature for her “intense poetic prose” about historical traumas and human fragility. The 53-year-old author, known for novels such as The Vegetarian and Human Acts, expressed astonishment and honour at the award. “I hope this brings joy to Korean literature readers,” Han joked.

The announcement sparked celebrations in South Korea, with online bookshops crashing owing to high traffic. President Yoon Suk Yeol commended Han for turning sad historical events into useful fiction. Han is the first South Korean and 18th woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature, which she will receive in December.

The Nobel committee emphasised Han’s sensitivity to the vulnerable, citing her distinct approach that connects the physical and spiritual. The Vegetarian, translated in 2015, earned Han widespread acclaim and won an international Booker Prize. Her novel Human Acts delves into the 1980 Gwangju massacre, demonstrating her concentration on historical events and their emotional impact.

Prominent writers complimented Han’s work. Deborah Levy termed her “one of the most profound writers,” while Max Porter described her as a “vital voice.”

Saudi Arabia and South Korea are deepening their 62-year collaboration, which has expanded beyond building and petrochemicals to include smart cities, sustainable energy, and future mobility. This shift comes after South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s recent visit to Riyadh, which resulted in 51 business agreements totalling $15.6 billion, including a $400 million Hyundai investment in a new assembly facility.

Korean companies like as Korea Electric Power Corp, POSCO Holdings, and Lotte Chemical have collaborated with Aramco on blue ammonia production, and Naver demonstrated its AI and digital solutions at LEAP 2024 in Riyadh.

Highlighting this partnership, KOSAA was established in Seoul to increase Korean investment in Saudi initiatives such as NEOM—a huge smart city effort. NEOM contains The Line, a 170-kilometer linear city where Samsung C&T and Hyundai E&C are developing advanced tunnelling technologies.

Korea is also looking into smart city development in Saudi cities using digital twins, and joint initiatives for eco-friendly infrastructure that align with Saudi Vision 2030. With over 330 Korean enterprises operating in Saudi Arabia, Korea’s commitment to this strategic cooperation intends to support major advances in infrastructure and digital transformation.

John Hopfield and Geoffrey Hinton were given the 2024 Nobel Prize in Physics by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm on Tuesday in recognition of their ground-breaking work in artificial intelligence.

The official announcement states that the physics tools used by this year’s Nobel Laureates in Physics have laid the groundwork for the advanced machine learning systems of today.

An associative memory model that can store and reconstruct images and other data patterns was created by John Hopfield. His research paved the way for machines to be able to remember and identify complex data. Meanwhile, Geoffrey Hinton invented a technique for automatically recognising characteristics in data, making it possible to identify particular components in pictures.

The development of AI technology has been greatly impacted by their joint efforts.

The finding that allowed Anne L’Huillier, Pierre Agostini, and Ferenc Krausz to record the fleeting seconds of electron spin last year earned them the Nobel Prize in Physics. This discovery has potential uses in electronics and medical diagnostics.

Since its founding, Alfred Nobel’s legacy has sponsored the 117 Nobel Prizes in Physics, which come with a monetary prize of 11 million Swedish kronor, or roughly ₹8.3 crore.

Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of microRNA, small genetic components that regulate cell functioning. Their pioneering research, which began with worms, has identified an important mechanism for gene regulation in complex life forms.

MicroRNA, unlike traditional RNA, does not produce proteins but rather regulates the activation of specific genes, perhaps leading to new treatments for disorders such as cancer. According to a Nobel panel in Stockholm, this discovery is critical to understanding cell timing and development, with implications for molecular oncology.

Dr. Claire Fletcher of Imperial College London emphasised microRNA’s importance in drug research and disease markers, notably for cancer. As research progresses, scientists want to use microRNA to inhibit overactive genes that promote cancer growth.

Eric Miska of Cambridge University observed that Ambros and Ruvkun’s findings were unexpected and substantially altered our knowledge of cellular activity. Today, microRNA research is expanding into sectors such as infectious and neurological illnesses, perhaps paving the path for new treatments.

Ambros and Ruvkun expressed amazement at their victory. Ruvkun regarded the Nobel Prize as life-changing, but Ambros emphasised the importance of curiosity-driven science financed by taxpayers. The Nobel Prize carries a reward of 11 million Swedish kronor (about $1 million USD).

On October 6, the Indian Air Force (IAF) performed a spectacular air show at Chennai’s Marina Beach in celebration of its 92nd Air Force Day on October 8. The Sukhoi Su-30MKI and Sarang helicopter were among the fighter jets that enthralled the crowd, making it the first such event in Chennai in 21 years. The Garud Commandos exhibited their abilities in simulated rescue operations, which added to the excitement.

This year’s theme, “Bharatiya Vayusena: Saksham, Sashakt aur Aatmnirbhar” (Capable, Strong, and Self-reliant), highlights the IAF’s dedication to national security and modernisation. Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, and other dignitaries attended the event.

Nearly 72 aircraft flew aerial displays, including Rafale, Tejas, Suryakiran, and heritage planes Dakota and Harvard. The Sukhoi Su-30’s “Loop-tumble-yaw” manoeuvre and Rafale’s refuelling demonstration wowed spectators. The climax featured Sarang helicopters in a magnificent pattern.

The IAF warned the public to avoid carrying food owing to fears about bird strikes. The event, which was coordinated by Air Vice Marshal K. Premkumar, had heavy security with approximately 6,500 personnel.