President Xi Jinping announced that China will provide five thousand opportunities for training and seminars on artificial intelligence (AI) to developing countries over the next five years.
This statement was made by Xi Jinping on Friday during his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the World AI Conference 2026 and the High-Level Meeting on Global AI Governance, which took place in Shanghai.
He also stated that China intends to establish international cooperation centers for AI applications jointly with organizations such as ASEAN, the League of Arab States, the African Union, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, and BRICS.
Furthermore, Xi Jinping added that China will assist thirty countries in using the AI-based MAZU early warning meteorological system to protect lives and property worldwide.
Skyroot Aerospace, a company from Hyderabad, is preparing to launch Vikram-1, which will be the first orbital mission developed by a private company in India. This launch, conducted under the Aagaman Mission (meaning 'arrival' in Hindi), plans to place several payloads into low Earth orbit (LEO) at an altitude of 450 km.
This mission represents a significant technological achievement for Skyroot Aerospace and serves as a powerful test of the government's efforts to open the Indian space sector to private enterprise. The government forecasts that the Indian space industry economy, currently valued at approximately $8.4 billion, could grow to $40–45 billion by 2030, with a long-term goal of $100 billion by 2040.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called this launch a 'historic new milestone for India's space journey.' He noted that the four-stage rocket is designed to provide fast and on-demand launch services. Modi wished success to the entire Skyroot Aerospace team and urged Indians, especially the youth, to follow and support the Skyroot team.
Vikram-1 is capable of delivering payloads weighing up to 350 kg into low Earth orbit (LEO). The rocket is constructed using a carbon composite structure, solid rocket boosters, and a liquid engine manufactured via 3D printing. In addition to testing Skyroot's launch technologies, the mission will carry several commercial cargo items, including SCOPE satellite from the company, a DCUBED technology demonstrator from Germany, the SOLARAS S3 satellite from Grahaa Space, and the Embrace robotic arm from Cosmoserve Space, designed for space debris capture.
The launch also includes two symbolic payloads: an artistic piece shaped like the Cosmic Bloom flower and a micro-rocket made of 18-carat gold, featuring microscopic sculptures of Nobel laureate C. V. Raman, space pioneer Vikram Sarabhai, and former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam.
The Vikram-1 mission took place three years after the adoption of the Indian Space Policy 2023, which opened the entire space value chain to private participation. This allowed non-governmental entities to engage in the creation of satellites, launch vehicles, space applications, and subsequent services. These reforms have stimulated rapid growth in the private space ecosystem. According to government data, the number of space startups has increased from one in 2014 to over 400 in 2026, reflecting growing investor interest and entrepreneurial activity.
The Indian National Centre for Promotion and Authorization of Space Activities (IN-SPACe), acting as a single window for sector regulation, played a key role in ensuring private business participation. As of June 2026, it has registered over 4,500 organizations, issued 133 licenses, and signed 106 memorandums of understanding with industry players. The government has also introduced financing mechanisms, such as a venture fund of 1,000 crore rupees, a technology implementation fund of 500 crore rupees, and the IN-SPACe seed fund program to support early-stage space startups. Liberalized foreign direct investment norms now allow up to 74 percent automatic FDI in satellite manufacturing and operation, 49 percent in launch vehicles and spaceports, and 100 percent in satellite component manufacturing.
India's commercial space aspirations have been gaining momentum in recent years. Skyroot's Vikram-S suborbital mission in 2022 was the first launch of a rocket developed by a private company in the country, and in 2024, Agnikul Cosmos conducted its first launch from a privately built launchpad. ISRO's commercial wing, NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), has also expanded India's presence in the global launch market. As of July 2026, NSIL has launched 141 satellites, including 138 international or customer satellites.
Local South African rooibos tea is preparing for a flight to the International Space Station in October as part of an innovative project. According to the South African Rooibos Council (SARC), this initiative involves exposing local seeds to microgravity and cosmic radiation to study life support systems outside of Earth.
After returning, the seeds will be planted by students from Parkland College and seven schools in the Western Cape alongside control seeds to analyze their germination, growth, and yield. The ultimate goal of this significant experiment is to help solve important agricultural cultivation problems on Earth while simultaneously increasing youth interest in advanced space science.
SARC Director, Douwe de Villiers, stated that the council is expanding its traditional focus on local public health research to study the influence of cosmic radiation and microgravity on this crop. He specified that students will become active partners in the project, tracking seed growth and resilience parallel to ground control crops. The project aims to address current commercial cultivation and yield challenges for local farmers, as well as stimulating youth interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).
De Villiers expressed hope that among the young participants, 'a spark will ignite, prompting them to delve deeper into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.'
During the launch event, Dr. Kelebogile Gaselakhwa, a postdoctoral researcher at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), urged students to draw inspiration from the journey of this crop.
Gaselakhwa stated: 'Being rooted deep in the earth and soaring high into the sky, right into space, is a message I want all of you to keep in your hearts.' Speaking about her own journey from Kimberley to becoming an astronomer, she emphasized that South Africa's global scientific facilities, such as the MeerKAT radio telescope, demonstrate the country's global leadership in science. She encouraged students to pursue careers in STEM and use the rooibos experiment to expand their own ambitions.
Gaselakhwa added that 'the seeds are going into space, but the seeds of inspiration we hope to sow in each of you today will help broaden your imagination,' urging students to remain unique and true to their identity while pursuing their dreams.
The South African National Space Agency (Sansa) supported the project to strengthen local skills development and innovation. Tandile Wuntu, Head of Sansa's Science Engagement Department in Germinus, noted that this initiative creates vital opportunities for youth entering STEM fields. He stressed that 'space science is becoming increasingly integrated into areas affecting daily life, from communication to environmental monitoring.'
Wuntu also pointed out that such projects demonstrate the importance of collaboration between industry, government, academia, and the scientific sector to build a strong pipeline of future scientists, engineers, and researchers. MaxIQ Space facilitates the delivery of this scientific program directly into classrooms by developing an extended STEM education curriculum that introduces students to space science, plant biology, and sustainable agriculture.
Judy Sandrock from MaxIQ Space stated that the initiative's goal is to strengthen access to authentic scientific learning. She noted that the project's value lies in giving students exposure to real-world scientific research processes related to space science, providing a structured opportunity to develop scientific thinking, data analysis skills, and understanding of practical experimentation.
To increase national participation, students across South Africa are invited to participate in designing the official 'Rooibos in Space' mission badge in July and August, thereby extending the project's reach beyond the primary participating schools. Bertram Loriston, Deputy Director of Curriculum Management and Assessment for the Western Cape Education Department, strongly urged young people to seize every opportunity. Loriston recalled his own experience working at CERN in Geneva, where scientific experiments and data management broadened his horizons. Despite the difficulties of this scientific path, he ultimately chose teaching to inspire curiosity in youth, praising teachers for providing students with opportunities that open doors beyond the classroom. His advice was simple and resolute: 'When an opportunity knocks, you must dance. Take it.'
Applying this advice is Chloe Kosi, a Grade 10 student from Khanyville High School, who said this initiative has already taught her how curiosity can unlock major career and academic opportunities. For Kosi, sending a local South African plant into space is a proud achievement that will help gain international recognition for the country's scientific research.
A team of scientists from Northeast India has identified a new species of firefly in the village of Mawsynram, known as the wettest place on Earth, located in the state of Meghalaya.
The new insect has been named Pygoluciola mawsynram. Its discovery was made by researchers from Assam Don Bosco University and Debraj Roy College. This species increases the total number of species in the genus Pygoluciola to 29 worldwide and is only the fifth representative of its genus recorded in India.
The discovery occurred in May 2024, shortly before the start of the heavy monsoon season. The researchers conducted fieldwork, trekking through moist meadows and semi-evergreen forests of the East Khasi Hills. They observed the fireflies emitting yellowish flashes of light between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM, often near small, slow-moving water bodies and waterfalls.
To confirm the novelty of the species, the team used a combination of traditional morphology, which studies the physical structure of the insect, and DNA barcoding to determine its genetic signature. Although many fireflies look similar externally, P. mawsynram is distinguished by an orange-yellow pronotum (the plate covering the upper part of the body) and black wings with thin yellow edges. Its closest relative is the Indonesian firefly, Pygoluciola ambita, but microscopic examination revealed key differences.
The new Indian species possesses a uniquely curved or complex edge on the sixth abdominal segment and has differently formed reproductive organs (aedeagus). Specifically, the tip of this organ is characterized by a broad base that narrows to a thin, wavy membrane, which is not observed in other known representatives of this group. The name Mawsynram was chosen in honor of the village where the firefly was first discovered, also paying tribute to the local Khasi community, which traditionally cares for the region's biodiversity by preserving sacred groves.
The researchers emphasized that despite the abundance of wildlife in India, fireflies have long been ignored by the scientific community. They consider this finding an important step toward understanding the role of these bioluminescent insects in the ecosystem. Since the fireflies were found near water, the team suggests that their larvae may be aquatic or semi-aquatic, implying their dependence on the region's famous rainfall for survival.
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