BALANCE HORMONES NATURALLY
Astragalus, a key herb in Traditional Chinese Medicine, is packed with protective compounds, which help support immune cell activity, regulate blood sugar, and offer anti-inflammatory benefits. Credit : PINTEREST
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Scarlet Macaw, a striking Amazonian bird, features red, yellow, and blue feathers and is often seen flying in pairs or small flocks through the jungle canopy. Credit : PEXELS
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Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
CISC Dixit cites expansion in China's military space programme at defence surveillance seminar
New Delhi, As India contemplates its own surveillance capabilities, the rapidly evolving threat landscape, particularly the remarkable advances made by "our neighbours to the north" must be understood, Chief of Integrated Defence Staff Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit said on Wednesday, as he also cited expansion in China's military space programme. In his address at a seminar here, Air Marshal Dixit also said Chinese satellites have recently demonstrated "sophisticated 'dog-fighting' manouvres" in low earth orbits. He was speaking on 'Surveillance and Electro-optics' at the event hosted by think-tank CS and Indian Military Reviews at Subroto Park. China's military space programme has expanded from "operating just 36 satellites in 2010 to over a thousand by 2024, with more than 360 dedicated to ISR missions". ISR refers to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. "As we contemplate our own surveillance capabilities, we must understand the rapidly evolving threat landscape, particularly the remarkable advances made by our neighbours to the north," Air Marshal Dixit said. "They have evolved from a kill chain to a kill mesh, an integrated network that seamlessly interweaves ISR satellites with weapon systems," he added. However, he laid emphasis on the success of Operation Sindoor and said while these challenges be acknowledged, "we must also celebrate our remarkable achievements." At the "heart of our success" was the integrated air command and control system , a testament to Indian engineering's excellent and strategic vision," the officer said. It was also synchronised and integrated with the Indian Army's Akasheteer system, providing a joint and integrated approach to the air defence of the nation. What made IACCS particularly effective was its impact on decision-making and speed, he said, adding in modern warfare, information without the ability to act upon it rapidly, is of limited value. "IACCS compressed our sensor-to-shooter timelines dramatically, enabling responses that outpaced adversary's decision cycles," Air Marshal Dixit said. As we look to the future, we must recognise that tomorrow's battlefields will demand sensors in all domains. Surveillance and electro-optics will be one of the foundational layers of military operations, enabling dominance through foresight and planning, rather than firepower alone, the officer added. India's MALE and HALE platforms, including the MQ9, must therefore evolve with modular payloads, advanced system, AI-assisted analysis to provide commanders with unprecedented situational awareness, he said. At a symposium in 2023, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan while highlighting the intense race towards militarisation of space, had made a strong pitch for developing dual-use platforms with a special focus on incorporating cutting-edge technology in the space domain. The CDS, in another session of the symposium had also said that India needs to sharpen its focus on developing space capabilities to counter the rapid advances in the sector made by "an adversary", an apparent reference to China.
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
China's mysterious ‘quasi moon' probe, first-ever image revealed
Source: Live Science Chinese officials have unveiled the first image of their highly secretive Tianwen 2 spacecraft just two weeks after its launch. The spacecraft is on a mission to collect samples from a quasi-moon, marking a significant step in China's space exploration efforts. Interestingly, Tianwen 2 bears striking similarities to a current NASA spacecraft, raising curiosity about the design and technology choices. This early glimpse offers a rare look into China's ambitious plans and advanced space capabilities as they push forward in their quest to explore and study celestial bodies beyond Earth. First image of 'quasi moon' captured by Tianwen spacecraft on May 29 Much of the Tianwen 2 mission's development and objectives have been shrouded in secrecy. The launch, scheduled for May 29, was not livestreamed by the China National Space Administration (CNSA), which announced the successful lift-off about an hour after it happened. According to LiveScience, the Tianwen 2 probe was successfully launched into space onboard a Long March 3B rocket, which took off from the Xichang spaceport in southwestern China at around 1:31 a.m. local time. In July 2026, the Tianwen 2 spacecraft will approach Kamo'oalewa , a small asteroid about the size of a Ferris wheel, and attempt to land and collect samples. Kamo'oalewa, meaning 'oscillating celestial object' in Hawaiian, is a quasi-satellite that orbits the Sun alongside Earth but isn't gravitationally tied to our planet — it will eventually drift away. On Friday, June 6, CNSA released the first picture of one of the probe's 10-sided solar panels extending out into the void of space. The release also included a statement revealing that the probe is functioning as planned and is already around 1.9 million miles (3 million kilometers) from Earth — about eight times farther away than the Moon. Know about the quasi-moon Kamo'oalewa, measuring between 40 and 100 meters wide, maintains a distance of at least 4.6 million kilometres from Earth. This satellite completes a circuit around our planet roughly every 45 years. Scientists think that Kamo'oalewa originated from the Moon, potentially ejected into space after a meteor impact millions of years ago, and now orbits the Sun in tandem with Earth. Earth has six other quasi-moons, which all orbit the Sun alongside our planet but are not permanently bound to us. These space rocks are usually referred to as 'minimoons' — a term typically reserved for objects that temporarily orbit our planet at much closer distances for shorter periods, usually less than a year. Astronomers believe there are numerous other quasi-moons and minimoons around Earth yet to be discovered. Research also suggests Venus might have similar co-orbitals, potentially posing a future threat to Earth if gravitational forces pull them our way. Also read: 100-million-year-old dinosaur eggs recovered in Jurassic America
News18
a day ago
- News18
What Is Fentanyl? UPSC Aspirants Must Know As ‘US Works With India'. There's China Link Too
Last Updated: The FBI has been working with the Indian government to address the fentanyl crisis in the US. The US government has recently flagged the health crisis surrounding the illegal use of fentanyl, which has led to multiple cases of overdose and addiction. The number of fentanyl- and other opioid-related deaths has been on the rise since 1999, with distinct waves of increase in cases. However, what has driven the crisis? As per a new US intelligence report, India has emerged as a growing player in the illicit fentanyl trade. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that can be more dangerous than morphine and is counted among the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths in the US. Creating a crisis in the country, fentanyl has become a top priority issue for the Trump administration. China has been the largest source of both legal supplies of the drug as well as illicit supplies of precursor chemicals, which are processed in Mexico before being smuggled to the US. According to a 2025 Annual Threat Assessment (ATA) report published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 'Nonstate groups are often enabled, both directly and indirectly, by state actors, such as China and India, as sources of precursors and equipment for drug traffickers. China remains the primary source country for illicit fentanyl precursor chemicals and pill pressing equipment, followed by India." India And The US Working On the Fentanyl Crisis While the US government is trying to tackle the crisis, FBI director Kash Patel has recently opened up on how the Trump administration has been working with the Indian government to address the matter. During his recent appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Patel explained how both countries have collaborated to dismantle the network, which uses India as a transit point for smuggling the chemical precursors from China to the Mexican drug cartels. 'They're going to places like India, and I'm also doing operations in India. You don't hear fentanyl deaths in India. You don't hear fentanyl deaths in England, Australia, New Zealand, or Five Eyes partners in Canada," he said while accusing the Chinese communist party of using fentanyl as a weapon against the US. Patel also went on to detail how the FBI has maintained direct communication with the Indian authorities to tackle the issue. 'I just got off the phone with the Indian government. We're going to find these companies that buy it, and we're going to shut them down," he continued. Fentanyl Topic For UPSC Students With the United States intensifying its fight to disrupt the global fentanyl network, it can be perceived as a major topic in the UPSC examinations under the segment of current affairs. What Is Fentanyl? Fentanyl is an opioid drug, just like morphine and heroin, made entirely in laboratories without any natural ingredients. Though it has been approved as a prescribed pain medicine, most of the fentanyl has contributed to the current overdose. Being more powerful than any other opioid, a small amount of fentanyl can cause a fatal overdose or changes in brain activity if used repeatedly. Speaking of its impact, a recent study found that the use of fentanyl has 'nearly quadrupled" among people between the ages of 15 and 24 from 2018 to 2022. First Published: June 11, 2025, 13:54 IST
