China has taken another step in expanding its commercial space capabilities as private launch company Orienspace successfully launched its Gravity-1 rocket from a sea-based platform in the East China Sea, placing nine satellites into their intended orbits.

The mission marked the third successful flight of the Gravity-1 launch vehicle and further demonstrated the reliability of China's growing offshore launch infrastructure.

According to the company, the launch took place from a mobile sea-launch platform off the coast of Shanghai. All nine satellites were deployed precisely into their designated orbits, with the mission proceeding as planned.

Officials described the mission as an important milestone in validating the performance of the sea-based launch system.

Delectrik Systems will deploy the first utility scale Vanadium Redox Flow Battery project of 100 MWH capacity in India. Delectrik won the tender in collaboration with Bondada Engineering Limited which is a fast-growing infrastructure solution provider. The project was awarded by NTPC Renewable Energy Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited (NTPC). NTPC is India's largest integrated power utility with an installed capacity of over 90 GW, with a target to reach 149 GW by 2032. Out of the total capacity NTPC aims to have 60 GW of Renewable Energy capacity.

The installation will be based on Delectrik's non-containerized Flow Battery product architecture which it suitable for large Commercial, Industrial and Utility scale applications. The system will be deployed in 2027 at Khavda Solar Park which is slated to become the world's largest RE park with 30 GW of generation capacity by 2029. The company had successfully deployed a smaller 3 MWH variant of a similar product in 2025 at Greater Noida, NTPC.

In a push for a barrier-less tolling system, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has launched a digital “local pass” for residents in the 20-km radius of toll plazas on the Rajmargyatra app.

On June 17, The India Express had reported that the government was planning to introduce this pass by July. The move came after implementation of the Multi-lane free flow (MLFF) tolling or barrier-less tolling system in different toll plazas. In this system, commuters do not have to stop to pay the toll.

The eligibility for the local pass will be established based on the VAHAN details, which will retrieve a commuter’s address, vehicle number and linked FASTag.

Highlighting that a country’s language carries its heritage and offers a window into its culture, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday (July 19, 2026) inaugurated the Museum of Word at the National Library campus here and called it a step to preserve the virasat (heritage) of India.

Developed by the National Library under the aegis of the Union Culture Ministry, the first immersive language museum in the country, also known as Shabdalok, celebrates India’s rich linguistic heritage and showcases the evolution of its oral and written traditions through interactive and technology-driven exhibits.

India is developing a new Unified Payments Interface (UPI) capability to enable payments without needing an internet connection on either the customer’s device or the merchant’s point-of-sale (PoS) terminal, three people familiar with the matter said. This opens up use-cases such as payments on flights and underground trains.

The UPI operator, National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), is likely to certify PoS devices of the country’s leading merchant terminal manufacturers to enable offline UPI payments this year.

Users will be able to tap and pay at offline merchant terminals using near-field communication (NFC) technology, with transactions capped at ₹2,000, replicating the card-tap experience users are already familiar with.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday laid the foundation stone virtually for the world’s largest curd production plant while slamming the previous TMC government for stalling the entry of Gujarat-based dairy cooperative Amul into the state.

Part of the Rs 700-crore Amul Bengal Dairy Project, the plant – coming up at Howrah Food Park in Howrah’s Sankrail – will have a daily capacity to process up to 30 lakh litre milk and 10 lakh litre curd.

Addressing the gathering at the event at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre here in the presence of CM Suvendu Adhikari, Shah said, “I am here to tell the people of Bengal that all the election promises the BJP had made would be fulfilled. Today is a very important day for the farmers of Bengal. Amul has performed the ‘bhumi pujan’ for what will become the world’s largest curd production plant. Around 1.2 lakh small dairy farmers and cattle rearers will benefit from this initiative.”

The Centre has announced a new recruitment category for Ex-Agniveers applying for the posts of Constable (General Duty) in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Rifleman in the Assam Rifles, introducing a series of benefits, including reservation, age relaxation and exemptions from parts of the recruitment process.

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai shared the details in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, according to a press release issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB).

According to the government, Ex-Agniveers will be eligible for reservation in recruitment to the posts of Constable (General Duty) in CAPFs and Rifleman in the Assam Rifles.

France will soon become the first country in the European Union to ban children under 15 from using social media platforms. The French Parliament has approved a legislation to effect the same. President Emmanuel Macron, who is serving his final term said he wants the new rules to come into force by September.

In December last year, Australia became the first country to require major platforms including TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat to remove accounts belonging to users under 16 or face significant financial penalties.

After the proposal was passed by the Parliament, Macron posted on X: “I had committed to it, and now it’s been voted on: social media will be banned for those under 15 starting back-to-school. Thanks to the parliamentarians. It’s up to the Constitutional Council to rule, then on to action to make this measure concrete and protect our children online.”

The Centre on Tuesday launched Mission Golden Spice, a ₹175.45-crore initiative aimed at transforming Meghalaya’s GI-tagged Lakadong turmeric into a globally recognised premium spice while strengthening the entire value chain and boosting farmers’ incomes.

The Integrated Lakadong Turmeric Value Chain Enhancement Project was launched by Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region Jyotiraditya M. Scindia along with Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma. The five-year mission (2025–2030) will be implemented in two phases, beginning with value chain strengthening, followed by expansion and scale-up.

India has approved its first dengue vaccine, with the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) granting market authorisation to vaccine QDENGA, developed by Takeda Biopharmaceuticals India. According to Takeda, the approval marks a major step in India’s fight against dengue, a mosquito-borne disease that affects millions of people every year.

It added that the vaccine is approved for people aged 4 to 60 years and can be given regardless of whether a person has previously been infected with dengue. Unlike some dengue vaccines, QDENGA does not require pre-vaccination screening, allowing eligible individuals to receive the vaccine without first being tested for past dengue infection.

The approval comes as India continues to shoulder one of the world’s highest dengue burdens, with cases increasing sharply over the past two decades due to urbanisation, climate change, changing mosquito habitats and population growth.