Israel’s Defense Ministry on August 17 secured its largest-ever defense deal selling a sophisticated missile defense system to Germany for $3.5 billion. The defense system, Arrow 3 is designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles. Development and manufacturing of the system was led by the Israel Aerospace Industries, the Defense Ministry's Homa Administration for air-defense systems, and the US Department of Defense’s Missile Defense Agency. Israel sought approval for the deal from the US State Department before closing it with Germany. Israeli defense officials said the syste
Space scientists have discovered patterns on Mars that provide evidence of a cyclical climate similar to that of Earth's, opening up new prospects for research into the origin of life. Using data from NASA’s Curiosity rover, the scientists at the French National Centre for Scientific Research, Université Toulouse III – Paul Sabatier and Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, with the participation of French space agency CNES, made the new discovery. Using the Mastcam1 and the ChemCam2 instruments on the rover, space scientists have discovered deposits of salts dating from 3.8 to 3.6 billi
In the new study, a team of scientists at Yale University in the US have created a complete human-like liver in a mouse model that could help find ways to regulate cholesterol levels and potentially treat chronic liver diseases. The team used progenitor stem cells and mature cells known as hepatocytes from a human liver to create this model. According to these researchers, this organ developed into a similar size-adjusted shape and carried out similar cellular functions as a healthy human liver. The cellular functions in the humanised liver could also be manipulated to mimic human fibrosis
Indian IT company, Tata Consultancy Services has bagged a contract from the Government of India to redesign and build a new version of public procurement platform Government e-Marketplace (GeM). The GeM platform provides an end-to-end online marketplace to government entities, including public sector undertakings, for procurement of common-use goods and services in a transparent and efficient manner. In its next avatar, GeM is envisaged to be an all-inclusive platform for government procurement, offering improved ease of doing business and transparency. The Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India is running an Indian Web Browser Development Challenge, which seeks to inspire start-ups and developers in the country to create an indigenous web browser. The challenge is being run in collaboration with CCA and C-DAC Bangalore. It aims to create a browser with a focus on accessibility, and ensuring support “for individuals with diverse abilities.” The programme has already seen participation from over 200 participants, including government departments, academia, start-ups and more, the MeitY said i
President Droupadi Murmu has given assent to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023. The landmark legislation is designed to regulate the processing of personal data in the digital realm. It will come into effect upon a date to be duly notified by the Union Government. This legislation introduces new regulations and amends existing legislation, including the Right to Information Act and the IT Act. At its core, the new Act focuses on the responsible processing of digital personal data to ensure that individuals’ rights are respected. Its key provisions include strict obligations f
Artificial intelligence (AI) could have a more significant impact on the United Kingdom than the Industrial Revolution, said the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden. The leader warned that the emerging technology could be used by hackers to access sensitive information from the government. Dowden also said that AI could speed up productivity and perform boring aspects of jobs. A total revolution, it is going to transform almost all elements of life over the coming years, even months in some cases, he added. It is much faster than other revolutions that the country has seen and
A team of scientists at the University of California at San Diego, US have used CRISPR-based gene editing to create bacteria they believe can detect tumor DNA in the colons of mice. The researchers note that if the technology is applied successfully to humans, this would represent a non-invasive diagnostic tool that could identify cancer or pre-cancerous DNA. The study was recently published in the journal Science. The researchers targeted a specific trait that certain bacteria have, i.e. the ability to take free-floating DNA from its environment into itself. The team then engineered a cer
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully conducted a series of Drogue Parachute Deployment Tests for India’s proposed human space flight mission, Gaganyaan. The tests were conducted at the Rail Track Rocket Sled (RTRS) facility of the Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory, Chandigarh, in collaboration with Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE)/DRDO from August 8-10. India’s Gaganyaan mission entails the safe transportation of astronauts to space and back. The mission deploys drogue parachutes, which play an important role in stabilisi
The United Kingdom’s first drone delivery service has been launched on the Orkney Islands off the coast of Scotland. The joint operation, launched by Royal Mail and Skyports Drone Services on August 1, will initially operate on the islands for three months. Under the new service, mail is being transported from Royal Mail’s Kirkwall delivery office to Stromness, where the drones are delivering items to staff members on Graemsay and Hoy for postal workers to carry out their regular island delivery routes. The Royal Mail, in a statement, said that the drone service is expected to consi