A German aerospace engineer has established a Guinness World Record for staying underwater for 120 days without depressurisation in a submersible capsule off the coast of Panama. Rudiger Koch, 59, emerged on Friday from his 30-square-meter underwater home in front of Guinness World Records adjudicator Susana Reyes. Reyes confirmed that Koch's performance broke the previous record set by American Joseph Dituri, who stayed 100 days in an underwater lodge in Florida. Koch regarded his trip as remarkable, stating, "It was an incredible adventure. There is a sense of regret now that it has ende
A Telugu NRI student from Abu Dhabi has earned the prestigious Shaikh Zayed Sustainability Award for her creative concept to improve air quality in classrooms. Monica Akkineni, a 15-year-old from Eluru, Andhra Pradesh, was awarded for creating "CarbonSponge," a biodegradable solution composed of coconut fibre and natural rubber combined with carbon-absorbing algae. The project, which aimed to cut CO2 emissions and improve classroom air quality, received honours in the Global High Schools category. Monica worked with another Indian student, Muskan Maheshwari, at Merryland International Scho
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's impending visit to Paris in February is expected to improve bilateral ties in defence, technology, and marine security. During the visit, two significant defence transactions worth more than $10 billion are likely to be completed. These include the procurement of 26 Rafale-M fighter jets and three more Scorpene-class submarines for the Indian Navy. The Rafale-M fighter jets will improve India's naval air capabilities, while the submarines will greatly increase underwater combat strength. Both accords are awaiting approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (
To conserve and maintain the Kashmir Valley's iconic Chinar trees, authorities have begun an ambitious geo-tagging campaign. These trees, which are valued for their historical and cultural significance, have suffered as a result of urbanisation, illnesses, and construction projects. To address this loss, a "Digital Tree Aadhaar" system was implemented, which assigns a unique identity number to each Chinar tree in the valley. So far, about 29,000 Chinar trees have been geotagged, with approximately 1,000 remaining. This comprehensive effort, which began in 2021, includes capturing essential
The UK government has announced plans to issue digital driving licences through a new Gov.UK app, which will be available this summer. This initiative seeks to modernise access to public services by enabling citizens to securely hold official documents in a digital "wallet." The software will first enable veteran cards, followed by a pilot program for digital driver licenses later in 2025. The digital wallet will use advanced smartphone security features like facial and fingerprint recognition to keep customers' data secure. This technology, like Apple or Google Wallet, will allow customer
India intends to prioritise railway modernisation in the 2025/26 federal budget, increasing funding for railroads while only significantly increasing funds for road projects. This transition comes amid execution issues in the road transport industry, despite major post-pandemic investments. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Minister of Finance, is anticipated to announce the budget on February 1st. The railways ministry's budget could increase to ₹2.9 trillion to ₹3 trillion ($33.5 billion-$34.7 billion), from ₹2.55 trillion. This would enable the expansion of Indian Railways' network and the
The Global Power Metropolis Index (GPCI), published by Japan's Mori Memorial Foundation, has ranked Dubai the world's cleanest metropolis for the fifth year in a row. The index assesses cities' potential to attract people, capital, and businesses, taking into account criteria such as economy, R&D, cultural engagement, liveability, environment, and accessibility. Dubai outperformed 47 global cities, with respondents expressing complete satisfaction with its cleanliness. Over 3,200 cleaning engineers and supervisors worked tirelessly to achieve this feat, which was aided by 855 vehicles
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has presented the world's first large-scale, 24/7 renewable energy project in Abu Dhabi, which combines a 5.2GW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant with a 19GWh battery energy storage system (BESS). This unique initiative generates 1GW of continuous baseload power every day, assuring a steady supply of clean energy around the clock and setting a global standard for renewable energy solutions. Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Masdar Chairman, remarked that this initiative addresses the long-standing issue of renewable energy inte
On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025, India's largest mobility exhibition, which is slated to showcase over 100 debuts in autos, components, and technologies. The five-day festival (January 17-22) takes place at three locations: Bharat Mandapam, Yashobhoomi in Delhi, and India Expo Centre in Greater Noida. The launch was attended by Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, Piyush Goyal, and Hardeep Singh Puri, as well as automobile industry heavyweights. The expo brings together the full mobility value chain, including manufacturers, component supplie
Thailand is to start a new carbon credits market this year to address the sector's weak demand and low prices. According to Pornanong Budsaratragoon, secretary-general of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the platform would be managed by the Stock Exchange of Thailand, with the goal of leveraging its trading knowledge and expanding the investor base. "We need a more dynamic carbon credit market," Ms Pornanong said, emphasising the platform's importance in achieving success. This initiative complements Thaksin Shinawatra's recent call for a special trading arena for carbon credits, wh