Govt explores EU-like law to safeguard firms against third countries' sanctions

To Safeguard against disruption of critical services by foreign companies citing sanctions in other jurisdictions, New Delhi is studying the European Union Blocking Statute, an anti-sanction law that EU countries take recourse to. Introduced by Brussels in 1996, it acts as a potential 'shield' for European companies against sanctions by third countries.

Eyes in space: Indian startup launches a first-of-its-kind satellite via SpaceX rocket

A Spacex rocket launched from California on Sunday carried a unique satellite from Indian startup GalaxEye that is meant to fill a long-standing gap in earth observation capabilities from space. The satellite, aptly called Drishti, is equipped to take optical as well radar-generated images of the same place at the same time, something that has not been tried before.

Why India's new helicopter-launched naval missile 'hits different'

Last Week, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the Indian Navy successfully test-launched a salvo of short-range anti-ship missiles from a helicopter off the Odisha coast. These indigenously developed missiles, called the Naval Anti-Ship Missile Short Range (NASM-SR), are to be deployed from ship-borne helicopters.

This was the platform's first successful salvo test - multiple launches in quick succession - wherein two such missiles were launched from the same chopper. While the Navy already has helicopter-launched missiles, the NASM-SR offers a potential upgrade.

On abortion, SC places the woman at the centre

The Supreme Court's insistence that an unwanted pregnancy cannot be imposed - least of all upon a minor - and its dismissal of a curative plea filed by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences contesting the Court's decision to allow a 15-year-old rape survivor to terminate her 30-week pregnancy, is a welcome reaffirmation of reproductive autonomy as a fundamental right grounded in dignity and bodily integrity. The apex court's framing of the issue "unwanted pregnancies cannot be burdened on the woman", and the state must "respect a citizen's autonomy of choice"-comes at a time when abortion is increasingly being framed as a choice between competing lives, not just in India but globally. It signals that constitutional guarantees cannot be diluted by medical paternalism.

After Hormuz disruption, Asia should build an energy security alliance

The closure has alerted countries to their vulnerability to other nautical chokepoints.

Aside from the Strait of Hormuz, their energy supplies have to cross the Strait of Malacca, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.

The next fuel shift: More ethanol in the tank

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has issued a draft notification proposing the recognition of 85 per cent ethanol-blended petrol (E85) and even 100 per cent ethanol (E100) as automotive fuels. This is as against the 20 per cent blend (E20) that has already been achieved and made mandatory for all petrol sold in India from April 2026. The draft amendments to the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, once approved, will pave the way for the introduction of flex-fuel vehicles that can run on E85, if not 100 per cent ethanol. While the vehicles manufactured since April 2023 are E20-compliant, compatibility with higher blends will require major overhaul of internal combustion engines and auto parts to withstand any potential corrosion from the hygroscopic (moisture-absorbing) property of ethanol.

OPEC+ agrees 3rd oil output quota hike since Hormuz closure

Opec+ Agreed on Sunday a modest oil output hike for June, an increase that will remain largely on paper as long as the Iran war continues to disrupt Gulf oil supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.

Seven OPEC+ countries will raise oil output targets by 188,000 barrels per day in June, the third consecutive monthly increase, OPEC+ said in a statement after an online meeting.

'$70 bn energy, digital infra plan for Asia-Pacific'

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) Sunday said it will back $70 billion in new energy and digital infrastructure initiatives across Asia and the Pacific by 2035, aimed at strengthening cross-border connectivity and expanding access to electricity and broadband.

Dengue is spreading fast: Can science outsmart it at last?

From Decoding the virus cell by cell to predicting severe illness before symptoms escalate, scientists are deploying break-through technologies to study dengue like never before. Tools such as single-cell sequencing-akin to a microscopic detective tracking what happens inside each infected cell - and advanced protein biomarker analysis, which scans thousands of biological signals in a single blood test, are set to transform how dengue is understood, diagnosed and treated.