Dr. Hisham Aljadhey, Chief Executive Officer of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA), led Saudi Arabia's delegation to the 19th Annual International Conference of Drug Regulatory Authorities (ICDRA) in New Delhi, India, on October 14-18, 2024. The Central Drug Standards Control Organisation (CDSCO) and the Ministry of Health and Welfare worked together to organise this high-profile event, which Anupriya Patel, India's Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, opened. The World Health Organisation (WHO) played an important role in co-hosting the meeting. ICDRA provides a forum
Singapore has created a voluntary scheme to rate medical devices based on their cybersecurity features. The Cybersecurity Labelling Scheme for Medical Devices, which was implemented on October 16, evaluates devices to verify they fulfil requirements for protecting against data breaches and cyber assaults. At the Singapore International Cyber Week, Senior Minister Dr Janil Puthucheary emphasised the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures as medical devices become more connected to networks, heightening possible risks. Devices must already comply with Health Sciences Authority (HSA)
NASA's ₹43,700 crore Europa Clipper mission has taken off from the Kennedy Space Centre on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket, aiming at exploring whether Jupiter's ice moon Europa might sustain life. The spacecraft will travel 1.8 billion miles via Mars and Earth gravity assistance, marking NASA's first dedicated ocean world exploration beyond Earth. In 2031, it is scheduled to start conducting scientific flybys of Europa, collecting data through 49 close passes. Europa, which is about the size of the Moon, probably has a huge ocean beneath its frozen surface. Previous expeditions, such as
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
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 mountaineer
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
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 fr
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
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 wo
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 d