NASA successfully launched the first of a pair of small climate satellites on Saturday from the Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 in Mahia, New Zealand. The mission, dubbed PREFIRE (Polar Radiant Energy in the Far-InfraRed Experiment), aims to study heat emissions at the Earth’s poles, shedding light on the intricate interplay between these regions and global climate change.

The PREFIRE mission consists of two shoebox-sized CubeSats, each equipped with a sophisticated thermal infrared spectrometer capable of measuring the far-infrared radiation emitted by the Earth’s coldest and most remote regions. By collecting this crucial data, scientists hope to better predict the impact of climate change on sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea-level rise.

Purnima Shrestha, a 32-year-old mountaineer from Gorkha, Nepal, and a photojournalist by profession has made history as the first woman in the world to climb Mount Everest three times in the same season, all in just 13 days.

Her exceptional triple ascent beats the previous record of any woman summiteer to climb Everest thrice in a single season. She has climbed Everest four times, with a prior summit in 2018.

Spain has pledged to provide military support to Ukraine worth 1 billion euros ($1.08 billion) this year under an agreement signed on Monday between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Madrid.

“It is more important than ever to redouble our support,” Sanchez told a press conference.

The pact, which covers the next decade, calls for the supply of modern military equipment for ground, aerial, naval and other uses, “prioritising Ukraine’s key capacity needs”, and an emphasis on maritime means to protect Ukraine’s food export routes, but gave no specifics.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc celebrated a dream Monaco Grand Prix victory on Sunday to become the first home winner of Formula One’s showcase race since Louis Chiron raced around the city streets in 1931.

It was the first time the 26-year-old had stood on the Monaco podium in six attempts and came after two standing starts from pole position in a race halted when first-lap collisions took out a fifth of the field.

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri finished runner-up, 7.1 seconds behind after 78 laps without a chance to overtake on a circuit that often produces processional races, and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz was third.

Six NATO countries neighboring Russia are joining forces to build a “drone wall” to protect their borders, Lithuania’s interior minister announced on Friday.

“This is a completely new thing, a drone wall stretching from Norway to Poland, and the goal is to use drones and other technologies to protect our borders,” Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said in an interview with local news agency BNS.

“Not only with physical infrastructure, surveillance systems, but also with drones and other technologies, which would allow us to protect against provocations from unfriendly countries and to prevent smuggling,” she said.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on monday penalised ICICI Bank and YES Bank for violating various regulatory norms. ICICI Bank was fined Rs 1 crore, while YES Bank was penalised Rs 91 lakh.

RBI’s supervisory inspection found violations by both banks relating to their financial position as on March 31, 2022. The RBI issued notices to both banks, requesting explanation as to why penalties should not be imposed. After reviewing their responses, the RBI concluded that the banks' lapses warranted the penalties.

ICICI Bank penalised for improper loan practices

The Government of India has granted $1 million as immediate assistance for Papua New Guinea, which has been hit by a devastating flood and landslip that has so far killed 2,000 people.

“As a close friend and partner under the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) and as a gesture of solidarity with the friendly people of Papua New Guinea, Government of India extends an immediate relief assistance of $1 million to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a press statement.

Sony Corporation has appointed Disney Star’s Gaurav Banerjee as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of its India unit, sources have told FE. Banerjee will replace NP Singh, who resigned last week after 25 years at the company.

Banerjee is said to have resigned from his position at Disney Star, where he was in charge of content for Hindi entertainment and Disney+ Hotstar, and the business head for Star Bharat, Hindi & English movies, kids & infotainment and the regional channels in the east.

Disney Star declined to comment, while Sony Pictures Networks India did not respond to queries.

Indian woman peacekeeper Major Radhika Sen, who served with the UN mission in Congo, will be honoured with the prestigious military gender advocate award by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on May 30 (Thursday), marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

Major Sen, who served with the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), will receive the prestigious ‘2023 United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award’ from Mr. Guterres during a ceremony at the world body's headquarters here on May 30 marking the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.

Assistant Foreign Minister Hua Chunying was appointed as the vice foreign minister, according to an official announcement on Monday.

Hua was born in 1970 and graduated from Nanjing University. She has worked in the former Department of Western European Affairs, the Department of European Affairs, the Information Department, as well as at the Chinese Embassy in Singapore and the Chinese Mission to the EU, according to public records.

From 2012 to 2019, Hua served as the deputy director-general of the department of press, communication and public diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). She is also the fifth female spokesperson for the MFA, following Li Jinhua, Fan Huijuan, Zhang Qiyue, and Jiang Yu.