Countries in the Global South have been affected most by extreme weather events in the last 30 years, according to The Climate Risk Index 2025 published by Germanwatch, an environmental think tank. In some cases such as Dominica, losses incurred by a single extreme weather event can be many times higher than entire gross domestic product of a country.

The backward-looking index analyses how extreme weather events affect countries and ranks countries according to economic and human effects on them (fatalities and affected, injured, and homeless people), with the most affected country ranked first.

Saab, a leading defence and security company, has signed an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for a laser warning system, the global firm has said.

The agreement builds on a "strong partnership between Saab in South Africa and HAL" that began in 2005 during the development of the Advanced Light Helicopter programme, Saab said in a statement.

"Saab has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to collaborate on the Electronic Warfare land Laser Warning System-310 (LWS-310)," it said.

Bharat Electronics Limited and Safran Electronics & Defense, France have signed a MoU to create a joint venture for manufacturing, customising, sales and maintenance of HAMMER, a precision guided air-to-ground weapon, in India.

HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) is a combat-proven weapon system known for its high accuracy and modular design making it adaptable for multiple platforms including the Rafale and LCA Tejas.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by K V Suresh Kumar, Director (Marketing) of BEL, and Alexandre Ziegler, Executive Vice President of Safran Electronics & Defense, in the presence of Manoj Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of BEL, Franck Saudo, CEO of Safran Electronics & Defense at Aero India on Tuesday.

Sebi on Wednesday introduced a new digital platform, MITRA, to assist investors in tracking and reclaiming inactive or unclaimed mutual fund folios.

The objective of the platform, Mutual Fund Investment Tracing and Retrieval Assistant, is to encourage investors to search for forgotten MF investments and update KYC as per the current norms.

In a circular, Sebi said the platform addresses a growing concern wherein investors, over time, lose track of their mutual fund investments lack of updated contact information, or unawareness of investments made in their name.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has appointed Mr. Shreekant, former Chief General Manager of State Bank of India (SBI), as Administrator of New India Cooperative Bank Limited, Mumbai. A Committee of Advisors, including SBI’s former General Manager Ravindra Sapra and Chartered Accountant Abhijeet Deshmukh, will assist him in managing the bank’s day-to-day affairs. RBI also superseded the bank’s Board of Directors for 12 months, citing poor governance.

The bank was ordered to halt operations, including loans and deposits, due to liquidity concerns. Eligible depositors will receive insurance claims up to 5 lakh rupees, with further action based on improvements in the bank’s financial position.

The Ayushman Bharat Vay Vandana Scheme was officially launched in Puducherry today. Puducherry Lieutenant Governor K. Kailashnathan formally inaugurated the scheme in the presence of Chief Minister N. Rangasamy and distributed insurance scheme cards to eligible senior citizens. The lieutenant governor urged healthcare workers to raise awareness about such schemes for senior citizens so that more people benefit.

Chief Minister Rangasamy, in his address, emphasised that the scheme provides medical benefits to senior citizens. The central government’s Ayushman Bharat Vay Vandana Scheme provides free health insurance coverage of up to 5 lakh rupees per year for senior citizens aged 70 and above.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and ISRO have developed an indigenous microprocessor for space applications which can be used in command and control systems and other critical functions in outer space.

The SHAKTI microprocessor project is led by IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti at Prathap Subrahmanyam Centre for Digital Intelligence and Secure Hardware Architecture (PSCDISHA) in Department of Computer Science and Engineering.

The SHAKTI class of systems are based on RISC-V, an open-source Instruction Set Architecture (ISA), for designing custom processors. "SHAKTI" is backed by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology under its ‘Digital India RISC-V’ initiative (DIRV). It aims to promote indigenous development of microprocessor based products that offer best-in-class security and visibility for users adopting RISC-V technology.

Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council for Agricultural Research(ICAR) has developed the world’s first vaccine for cattle’s Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), which received green signal from the drug controller authority.

The vaccine, named BIOLUMPIVAXIN, has received approval from India's drug regulatory authority, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO).

This is the first-ever Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals (DIVA) marker vaccine for LSD. The disease, which affects cattle and Asian water buffaloes, is spread by insects and causes a significant loss of milk production, leading to economic damage for farmers.

China has approved the construction of the first South China Sea deepwater ‘space station. The cold seep ecosystem research facility will be anchored 2,000 metres below the surface of the strategically significant South China Sea, which is also subject to several competing territorial claims. The facility one of the deepest and most technologically complex underwater installations ever attempted is scheduled to be operational by around 2030.

Tata Elxsi has partnered with drone manufacturer Garuda Aerospace to establish a design, engineering, and certification centre focused on developing indigenous drone technologies for defence, agriculture, and smart cities. Announced at Aero India 2025, the collaboration aligns with the ‘Make in India’ initiative, with both companies showcasing prototypes, operational UAVs, and indigenised UAV components at the event.

Under the partnership, Tata Elxsi will lead the design, development, testing, and certification of UAV subsystems, leveraging expertise in avionics, miniaturisation, ground control systems, secured communication, and energy optimisation. Garuda Aerospace, with its strong presence in the defence sector, will focus on business acquisition and delivery. The drones developed will cater to multiple applications, including payload management, goods delivery, precision agriculture, and ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) missions. The collaboration is expected to benefit India’s defence forces and Border Security Force with advanced UAV capabilities while creating employment opportunities in the aerospace sector.