1. India
has secured a 9,000-sq-km exploration block in Zambia to explore copper and
cobalt, as part of its strategy to secure critical mineral assets amid rising
global demand.
2. A study
reveals that climate change has increased flood frequency in High Mountain Asia
(HMA) since 2000, with temperature rise driving more frequent floods. HMA, a
crucial freshwater source for over 2 billion people, faces four types of
floods: rain, snowmelt, glacial lake outburst, and landslide-dammed floods.
3. The
Archaeological Survey of India has discovered ancient rock art and inscriptions
within the Sri Lankamalleswara Wildlife Sanctuary in Andhra Pradesh. The
sanctuary, home to the critically endangered Jerdon courser, also harbors red
sanders, an endemic species facing threats from illegal harvesting.
4. Firefly
Aerospace's "Blue Ghost Mission" successfully landed its spacecraft
on the moon, becoming the second private company to achieve a lunar landing,
under NASA’s Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.