Every week, there’s always a lot happening around the world. In this article, we’ll take a look at the most important news stories from this week. Whether it’s about space, science, or politics, we’ve got it all covered. Let’s catch up on the top news of the week.
Two women officers of the Indian Navy, Lieutenant Commander Dilna K and Lieutenant Commander Roopa A, made history on Thursday. They sailed past Point Nemo, the most remote place on Earth, on their ship INSV Tarini.
They reached Point Nemo at 12:30 AM IST while travelling from Lyttelton, New Zealand, to Port Stanley in the Falkland Islands. This was the third part of their long journey around the world.
The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) means having the same rules for everyone about important personal matters like marriage, divorce, property, inheritance, and adoption. These rules apply to all citizens, no matter what religion they follow.
The Indian Constitution talks about the UCC in Article 44, which asks the government to work towards making sure everyone is treated equally under the same laws. Right now, Goa is the only state in India that already has a UCC. This is based on old Portuguese laws from 1867, which Goa continued to follow after joining India.
The Budget Session of the Parliament will begin today with an address by President Droupadi Murmu. She will speak to the members of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha in a joint sitting. This address marks the official beginning of the session. Apart from discussions on the budget, the government has listed 16 bills to be discussed during the session. One of the key bills among them is the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Other important bills include:
The Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill
The Railways (Amendment) Bill
The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill
The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill
The Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill
The Immigration and Foreigners Bill
A day after a tragic stampede at the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, where 30 people lost their lives and over 90 were injured, the state government has introduced strict measures to prevent such incidents in the future. The Prayagraj administration has taken major steps, including declaring the entire fair area a no-vehicle zone.
ISRO, India’s space organisation, is preparing for its important 100th mission. In this mission, a satellite called NVS-02 will be launched into space. The launch will happen at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh. Preparations started early on Tuesday, January 28, with a countdown beginning at 2:53 AM, about 27.5 hours before the actual launch.
The satellite will be launched using the GSLV-F15 rocket, which is 50.9 meters tall and has a special cryogenic engine made in India. The rocket is scheduled to launch on Wednesday, January 29, at 6:23 AM.
This mission is very important because it is the first one led by ISRO’s new chairman, V. Narayanan, who became chairman earlier this month.
NASA has shown a green signal to the Axiom-4 mission which will be piloted by India’s Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla. The 14-day mission to the International Space Station will include a team of four astronauts. Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, who also serves as the director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the mission. Shubhanshu Shukla, representing ISRO, will take on the role of the pilot for this commercial venture.
An American Airlines plane crashed into the Potomac River near Washington’s Reagan National Airport on Thursday after it collided mid-air with a US Army helicopter. Rescue teams have recovered 19 bodies from the river, and efforts to find more survivors are ongoing.
The plane, operated by PSA Airlines, was carrying 60 passengers and 4 crew members from Wichita, Kansas, to Washington. A US Army official confirmed the involvement of one of its helicopters in the crash. Another official stated that three soldiers were onboard, but their condition remains unclear.
Global stock markets are showing mixed reactions because of the impact of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI startup. In the US, stock futures have fallen, meaning people are worried about the effect DeepSeek could have on big tech companies like Nvidia and Google. However, in some Asian markets, stocks are going up because people are excited about DeepSeek’s quick success. This situation is causing discussions about what might happen to major tech companies in the future.
President Donald Trump signed a wide-ranging executive order designed to curb minors’ access to gender-affirming medical care. The order, titled “Protecting Children From Chemical and Surgical Mutilation,” has imposed harsh new measures that deny federal funding, limit research into the practices, and require federal agencies to revoke the guidance issued by a prominent transgender health organization.
The executive order specifically targets transition-related healthcare, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and gender-affirming surgeries, for individuals under the age of 19.
India and China have agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which has been paused since 2020. This decision was made during a meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
A statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs states that both sides will discuss the details of resuming the yatra as per existing agreements. They also agreed to hold an early meeting to discuss the resumption of hydrological data sharing and cooperation on trans-border rivers.