Russia

Russia launched its space satellite Arktika-M on Sunday on a mission to monitor the climate and environment in the Arctic amid a push by the Kremlin to expand the country’s activities in the region. The Arctic has warmed more than twice as fast as the global average over the last three decades and Moscow is seeking to develop the energy-rich region, investing in the Northern Sea Route for shipping across its long northern flank as ice melts. The satellite successfully reached its intended orbit after being launched from Kazakhstan’s Baikonur cosmodrome by a Soyuz rocket, Dmitry Rogozin, the head of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency, said in a post on Twitter. Russia plans to send up a second satellite in 2023 and, combined, the two will offer round-the-clock, all-weather monitoring of the Arctic Ocean and the surface of the Earth, Roscosmos said. #ArktikaM : T+09:22 min → separation of the upper stage from the third stage of the rocket. pic.twitter.com/Hm0lUMUc5k — ... » Learn More about Russia launches satellite to monitor climate in Arctic

Russian arms manufacturer Kalashnikov plans to start making its AK-203 assault rifle in India this year and wants to attract a wider audience with a hi-tech shotgun, chief executive Dmitry Tarasov said. Named after the designer of the AK-47 assault rifle that has been used for decades in wars around the world, Kalashnikov has been seeking new business and markets after being hit by U.S. and EU sanctions over Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014. It is targeting a 60% increase in annual revenue to more than 50 billion roubles ($675.33 million) by 2025, Tarasov told Reuters. Featuring a built-in computer, the Ultima shotgun envisages Wi-FI and bluetooth connectivity and can synchronise with smartphones. Also central to Kalashnikov’s growth plans is India, where it aims to produce 6.7 lakh AK-203 rifles in the next decade together with the Indian Defence Ministry. ... » Learn More about Russia’s Kalashnikov may make AK-203 rifle in India

oil producer cartel OPEC and allied countries have agreed to leave most of their existing oil production cuts in place as the spread of new coronavirus variants prolongs concerns about economic weakness. OPEC countries led by Saudi Arabia joined with non-members led by Russia to reach the deal in an online meeting Thursday. Most significantly, one million barrels per day in voluntary cuts from Saudi Arabia will remain in place at least through April. The decision pushed the price of crude oil sharply higher in global markets. The U.S. contract, which had plunged last year as the pandemic restrictions on businesses devastated demand for energy, spiked 5.6% higher on the day on Thursday to $64.70 a barrel. ... » Learn More about OPEC, allies keep oil output unchanged, prices jump

BEIJING : China set a modest five-year growth target on Friday for its nuclear power generation capacity and promised quicker development of alternative energy sources as it seeks to cut its carbon footprint, but left its coal industry largely untouched. The world's third-largest largest nuclear power producer, aims to have 70 gigawatts (GW) of installed capacity by 2025, the government said in its 2021-2025 plan delivered to the Chinese parliament. China originally aimed to bring its total nuclear installed capacity to 58 GW by 2020 but failed to meet the target following a long moratorium on new projects as well as delays at new third-generation plants. The plan also called for a rapid boost to wind and solar power generation and promotion of electricity generation from waste to help China meet its goal of having non-fossil fuels meet around 20% of total energy consumption by 2025. The world's top energy consumer has pledged to become carbon neutral by 2060 but has to ... » Learn More about China to speed up tapping new energy sources, but coal stays in mix

The Indian consumer's hope that petrol @Rs 100 might not become the new normal just yet, may have been dashed. Yesterday, OPEC+ — the grouping of major oil producers — made public its plan to continue with its production cuts till April. It effectively means that if you are headed to the petrol pump, brace yourself to keep paying more for longer than you thought you would. In all likelihood, the move by OPEC+ would push retail fuel prices to new highs in yet more towns and cities in India, putting paid to the hope that Indian consumers may get some relief at last. The Indian government was hoping that oil exporting countries would end the ongoing production cuts by March end, which would have brought local prices down in importing countries like India. Before the important meeting, India's Oil Ministry had sent out requests to OPEC+ to raise production and "bring back some of the price stability", various reports said. However, Saudi Arabia and Russia — the prime players ... » Learn More about In case you thought petrol @Rs 100 won’t become the new normal just yet, think again

SINGAPORE/MELBOURNE: Oil prices jumped more than $1 a barrel on Friday, hitting their highest levels in nearly 14 months, after OPEC and its allies agreed not to increase supply in April as they await a more substantial recovery in demand amid the coronavirus pandemic. Brent crude futures for May rose to as high as $68 a barrel on Friday, a level not seen since Jan. 8, 2020. The contract was up $1.09, or 1.6%, to $67.83 a barrel at 0730 GMT, and was on track for a near 3% gain in the week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures climbed 93 cents, or 1.5%, to $64.76 per barrel after hitting a high of $64.94 earlier in the session. Both contracts surged more than 4% on Thursday after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, together called OPEC+, extended oil output curbs into April, granting small exemptions to Russia and Kazakhstan. "OPEC+ has kept output steady indicating that it wants to take a cautious approach in normalising ... » Learn More about Oil soars to near 14-month high as OPEC+ extends output cuts into April

VILNIUS, Lithuania - Hacker groups linked to Russian intelligence conducted cyber-attacks against top Lithuanian officials and decision-makers last year and used the Baltic nation's technology infrastructure as a base to hit targets elsewhere, a report by Lithuania's intelligence service said Thursday. The annual national security threat assessment report claimed that, among others, the Russian cyber-espionage group APT29 with alleged links to Russia's intelligence services "exploited" Lithuania's information technology infrastructure "to carry out attacks by APT29 against foreign entities developing a COVID-19 vaccine." The report produced by Lithuania's State Security Department said the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown in Lithuania, a NATO member that is Russia's neighbor and a former Soviet republic, decreased Russian intelligence operations against the country in 2020 and shifted the Kremlin's efforts to cyber-espionage. "Nevertheless, Russian intelligence operations ... » Learn More about Report: Russian hackers exploit Lithuanian infrastructure

Next Arthur J Pais In 1941, at the height of the Second World War, Subhas Chandra Bose went to Germany to seek Adolf Hitler's help in organising an Indian army to fight their common enemy, England . In the third part of his four-part interview to Arthur Pais, biographer Sugata Bose talks about Netaji's  time in Europe . Part I: Grand nephew turns Netaji's biographer Part II: 'Netaji had a romantic, deeply emotional side to him' L et us talk about Netaji in Europe , and his outlook towards people of different religious and ethnic backgrounds. In the 1940s, Subhas Chandra Bose gave up his earlier inhibitions about meat and other food restrictions and so on, but remained essentially the same man in terms of his values. His biggest achievement in public life was to bring about the unity all of the religious communities of India: Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians. Mahatma Gandhi also brought about ... » Learn More about ‘Netaji was able to both respect and transcend religious differences’

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s sage advice remains as relevant today as it was during his lifetime, says Vivek Gumaste. P andit Jawaharlal Nehru was an international icon; a towering personality who strode the Indian political landscape as a colossus; the first prime minister of independent India who ruled the country for 17 long years; a man whose popularity is kept alive by a dynasty and a fawning sycophantic establishment. In contrast, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel died three years after India’s independence and his memory is at best an afterthought for most Congressmen. Yet, in times of grave national crises, especially in situations that demand resolute leadership, the common refrain that resounds throughout the length and breadth of the country is: “Had Sardar been alive our country would not have seen such hard days.’ (KL Panjabi . The Indomitable Sardar. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan 1990) As a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party and an apprehensive Congress party trade sharp ... » Learn More about Looking for the real Sardar Patel

Video Player Close PARIS, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The number of people who tested positive for COVID-19 in France increased by 23,507 in the past 24 hours, while another 439 patients died, according to figures released by health authorities on Friday. This daily count, down from 25,279 on Thursday, has brought the country's accumulative total of infections to 3,859,102. The total of deaths reached 88,274. Some 24,765 people with COVID-19 remained hospitalized, down by 126 in one day. Among them, 3,680 were receiving intensive treatment, up from 3,633 recorded on Thursday. Despite growing concerns over the spread of more contagious variants, French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday retained from imposing a new nationwide lockdown but ordered tougher restrictions. As in Alpes-Maritimes and Dunkirk, people in Pas-de-Calais in northern France have to stay at home from 6 a.m. Saturday to 6 p.m. Sunday. Three more departments -- Hautes-Alpes, Aisne and Aube -- are added to ... » Learn More about France sees 23,507 COVID-19 infections, 439 deaths in 24 hours