The next 12 months will see many world cinema heavyweights unveiling exciting new films.
India on Friday moved a step closer to launch its maiden unmanned moon session when the lunar spacecraft Chandrayaan-I was mated with the polar rocket which is set to blast off on October 22 from the Sriharikota spaceport. Gearing up for the final countdown, Space officials said all operations for the mission are progressing satisfactorily and barring a cyclone threat the PSLV-C11 will keep the date with the country's historic mission on October 22.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon who said he "counted on India's leadership" in South Asia, at the Sustainable Development Goals summit in New York marking the world body's landmark 70th anniversary session.
Against the backdrop of Pakistan's opposition to American drone strikes, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday said the pilotless aircraft should be used only for gathering intelligence.
Chang'e-2 had gone past the moon after completing its mission and flew by the asteroid Toutatis on December 13, which the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence (SASTIND) claimed was the first time a space ship flew by the asteroid, named after a Celtic God.
Pakistan has complained to United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon that the geographical coordinates notified by India of the Sir Creek estuary are "inconsistent" with international law and "impinge" upon Islamabad's territorial limits in the disputed area.
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday in his Independence Day speech announced that mobile telephony in the border state of Jammu and Kashmir will commence from next week.
Sony Pictures India will be splashing The Amazing Spider-Man across 1,000-plus screens, making it the widest release for any Hollywood movie.
They made history for India and the world.
Demanding that those involved in the alleged Iranian attempt to assassinate its ambassador to the United States should be brought to justice, Saudi Arabia has asked the United Nations chief to bring the "heinous plot" before the Security Council.
Indian Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag will attend an inaugural United Nations conference on peacekeeping operations
The six-wheeled solar-powered rover named Zhurong, resembling a blue butterfly and with a mass of 240 kg, slowly trundled off a ramp on the lander to hit the red, sandy soil of Mars, starting its journey to explore the fourth planet from the Sun.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday left for New York where she is going to participate in the International Yoga Day event being organised by the Indian Mission at the United Nations.
Nirmala Sitharaman, Amit Shah, Arvind Kejriwal and Rahul Gandhi also expressed solidarity with ISRO.
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has appointed Atul Khare of India as assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping operations.
A special United Nations envoy to Crimea, who was threatened by 10 to 15 armed men, is safe and will return to Ukrainian capital Kiev to continue his mission, the United Nations has said.
Signs of alien life will be detected by 2025, while "definitive evidence" of extra-terrestrial beings may be found within the next 20 to 30 years, top NASA scientists say.
'ISRO provides a very positive atmosphere. What matters here is your talent, not your gender,' says Ritu Karidhal, Deputy Operations Director, India's Mars orbital mission, Mangalyaan. A fascinating excerpt from Minnie Vaid's Those Magnificent Women And Their Flying Machines, Isro's Mission To Mars.
A US scientist, who played a key role in India's Chandrayaan mission in finding evidence of water on the Moon, has been indicted for attempted espionage for allegedly trying to supply classified defence information on satellites and early warning systems to Israel.
"Chandrayaan-2 is not the end of story. Our plans on Aditya L1 solar mission, human spaceflight programme are on track. A large number of advance satellite launches are planned in the coming months. SSLV will make its maiden flight sometimes in December or January. Testing of 200 ton semi-cryo engine is expected to begin shortly. Work is on to provide NAVIC signals on mobile phones, which will open the path to develop large number of applications for societal needs," he added.
After a text book launch of the probe 'Chang'e II' around 4.30 pm IST on the country's 61st National Day, the rocket successfully placed the lunar orbiter in its intended orbit in 20 minutes, prompting the scientists at the launch centre to break into loud cheers.
An American scientist who played a key role in India's Chandrayaan mission in finding evidence of water on the Moon has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on charges of spying for Israel, but the Indian Space Research Organisation said its security has not been compromised.
India has completed the design of Chandrayaan-2, its next mission to the moon -- this time in collaboration with Russia -- that would have a lander and rover that can collect samples of the lunar soil and analyse them and send back the data.
Here's what could be ahead for India: A $10-trillion economy by 2030-32, a Sensex at 1,00,000 by 2025, monthly GST revenues at Rs 2 trillion by 2024-25, 100 new unicorns by 2025, and poverty below 5 per cent by 2030, predicts R Jagannathan.
Terming India a "leading voice" in the developing world, the UN today said both India and Pakistan should continue their composite dialogue process to maintain peace in the subcontinent but ruled out withdrawal of its observer mission in both countries.
52-year-old Stewart D Nozette, a National Aeronautics and Space Administration scientist and Maryland resident, was taken into custody by the Federal Bureau of Investigation last week on charges of espionage for Israel. Federal prosecutors charged that Nozette had sought to sell the top US secrets for US $ 2 million.
The two-week vacuum test to evaluate the thermal design of the spacecraft and to verify its endurance in the harsh environment of space has just been completed at Indian Space Research Organisation Satellite Centre in Bengaluru, sources in the space agency said.
World leaders, including Modi, also inaugurated the Gandhi Solar Park at the UN headquarters here and released a commemorative stamp issued by the UN on the occasion of Gandhi's 150th birth anniversary.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Friday said he was encouraged by the commitment of India and Pakistan to continue their dialogue process, but ruled out withdrawal of its observer mission in both countries.
Will space tourism with a niche market of serving only the uber-rich ever be profitable, asks Kumar Abishek.
It is raining heavily at Sriharikota where the Satish Dhawan Space Centre is located
NASA has confirmed its New Horizons probe worked flawlessly on its flight past Pluto.
India has announced $12 million (Rs 73 crore) contribution to the United Nations to help it fight the deadly Ebola virus in the African continent.
"Italy is willing to try the marines at home, but in the meantime we ask for their freedom," said Interior Minister Angelino Alfano was quoted as saying by ANSA news agency.
Eight Indian soldiers, who lost their lives while serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations last year, are among 106 military, police and civilian personnel to be posthumously awarded a prestigious UN medal this week for their courage and sacrifice in the line of duty.
Karan Goyal, a student from Delhi is the only Indian among the team at Warwick University, which is working on the design to be launched in 2011.
India is only the fourth country to acquire such a specialised and modern capability after the United States, Russia and China.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration and Indian Space Research Organisation have shelved plans to train an Indian astronaut at NASA to be part of a manned mission of the American space shuttle.
"The odds, were stacked against us. Of the 51 missions, attempted across the world so far, a mere 21 had succeeded. But we have prevailed. With today's spectacular success, ISRO joins an elite group of only 3 other agencies worldwide to have successfully reached red planet," Modi said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced that India will contribute an additional battalion of 850 troops for United Nations peacekeeping operations, but also raised concern that troop contributing countries have no role in decision-making.
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