A new seafloor map reveals an area in the Arctic Ocean twice the size of France and six times the size of England. This addition contributes to the Seabed 2030 project, which aims to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. The project, launched in 2017, published its findings in -Scientific Data by Nature.

Extreme conditions and perennial sea-ice have historically made Arctic mapping difficult. However, technological advancements and advanced computing methods have enabled researchers to gather detailed data from this remote region. The updated dataset, released as part of the International Bathymetric Chart of the Arctic Ocean (IBCAO), adds 1.4 million square kilometres of new seafloor information.

"This release underscores the importance of regional initiatives like IBCAO in helping us achieve our goal of a fully mapped ocean floor by 2030," said Jamie McMichael-Phillips, Director of Seabed 2030. "It represents a crucial step towards making essential data accessible for sustainable ocean management."

Iran has inaugurated its first drone-carrier warship, saying the vessel is capable of operating in oceans far from its mainland, the official IRNA news agency reported Thursday.

The report said the vessel, manned by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard's navy, can carry several squadrons of drones as well as helicopters and cruise missiles. Named Shahid Bagheri, it's capable of launching cruise missiles, IRNA said.

With a 180-meter-long runway for drones, the vessel can travel up to 22,000 nautical miles without needing to refuel in ports. The report said it was converted from a commercial ship and would increase Iran's power of deterrence.

The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDoNER) hosted the North East Trade and Investment Roadshow in Chennai.

The roadshow held on Wednesday evoked strong interest from potential investors who are eager to explore opportunities in the North Eastern States.

The event was attended by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region & Ministry of Communications, Jyotiraditya M Scindia, along with Pu Lalnghinglova Hmar, Minister of Sports & Youth Services, Government of Mizoram, senior officials from MDoNER, North Eastern Council and North Eastern States.

In the ongoing 38th National Games in Uttarakhand, Niraj Kumar from Services clinched the gold medal in the 50m Rifle Three Positions (Men) event. Aishwarya Pratap Singh Tomar from Madhya Pradesh secured the silver, while Swapnil Suresh Kusale from Maharashtra bagged the bronze. Meanwhile, in the 10m Air Pistol Mixed Team event, Haryana’s Suruchi and Pramod struck gold. Rajasthan claimed the silver, and Maharashtra took home the bronze. Today’s competitions will feature the finals of the Recurve Archery events in the women’s, men’s, and mixed-team categories. Additionally, medals will be up for grabs in track cycling events. As per the latest medal tally, Karnataka leads with 29 gold medals, followed closely by Services with 28 gold medals

Food and delivery platform Zomato said on Thursday (February 6, 2025) it will rename the company to “Eternal” and unveiled a new logo, a move that comes more than two years after it began using the new name internally.

In a letter to shareholder, founder Deepinder Goyal said, “When we acquired Blinkit, we started using “Eternal” [instead of Zomato] internally to distinguish between the company and the brand/app. We also thought that we would publicly rename the company to Eternal, the day something beyond Zomato became a signicant driver of our future.”

Australia passed tough anti-hate crime laws on Thursday (February 6, 2025), including mandatory minimum sentences for terror offences and displaying hate symbols, in a bid to tackle a recent surge in antisemitism.

The laws will impose minimum jail sentences between 12 months for less serious hate crimes, such as giving a Nazi salute in public, and six years for those found guilty of terrorism offences.

January 2025 has been declared the warmest January on record, hinting at what's to follow throughout the year as global temperature continues to shatter records.

While several parts of the world experienced cold temperatures and winter chills, the planet continued to be warm, breaching past records.

The global average surface air temperature for the month reached 1.75° Celsius above pre-industrial levels. What's worrying climate scientists is the fact that this record occurred despite La Nina conditions in the Pacific, which typically have a cooling effect on global temperatures.

Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis shocked the cricketing world on Thursday by announcing his immediate retirement from One-Day International (ODI) cricket. However, he will still be available for selection in Australia’s national T20I squad.

The 35-year-old all-rounder was included in Australia’s preliminary 15-man squad for the ICC Champions Trophy, scheduled to take place later this month in Pakistan and the UAE. He will now be replaced in the final squad, which is set to be announced by February 12.

Stoinis, who has been competing in South Africa’s T20 franchise competition with Durban’s Super Giants, reportedly sustained a mild hamstring injury while bowling in recent days. Despite the injury, his decision to retire from ODIs stems from his desire to focus on the T20 format for the remainder of his career, both at the international level and in franchise cricket.

Standing on the deck of RV Tangaroa, a deepwater research vessel in the Ross Sea in Antarctic waters, marine scientist Sherine Sonia Cubelio squinted her eyes across the horizon.

Gujarat is set to implement a Uniform Civil Code in the state and has formed a five-member committee to prepare draft guidelines. The committee, which will be chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai, has been asked to submit its report within 45 days.

Announcing the development, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said Prime Minister Narendra Modi "advocates equal rights for all" and the UCC was a step in that direction.

"The Constitution is our sacred text. The BJP delivers on its promises - whether it is Article 370, One Nation One Election, Triple Talaq, women's reservation, or now working towards the Uniform Civil Code. Gujarat has always been at the forefront in fulfilling PM Modi's resolutions," the Chief Minister said.