Indian Astronaut To Pilot Private Spacecraft Axiom-4, Do Yoga In Space

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, set to become the second Indian to go to space after Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma's journey on board the Soyuz T-11 in April 1984, will take on the role of pilot on the Axiom Mission 4, or Ax-4.

The Ax-4 will go to the International Space Station (ISS) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Kennedy Space Centre in Florida no earlier than spring 2025, NASA told reporters on Thursday.

Group Captain Shukla, who is serving in the Indian Air Force (IAF), has also been chosen as an astronaut for India's Gaganyaan Mission by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). It was ISRO that sent him to NASA for the Ax-4 mission to the ISS.

Peggy Whitson, former NASA astronaut and director of human spaceflight at Axiom Space, will command the private Ax-4 mission, while Group Captain Shukla will serve as pilot, the American space agency told reporters.

"I am really excited to go into microgravity and experience space flight on my own. The tempo for the mission has been building up each month. I think we are at a stage wherein all the pieces are kind of coming together. I'm extremely excited to see how this unfolds in the coming months and for the actual space flight as well," Group Captain Shukla said in response to a question by NDTV.

The Axiom 4 Mission team speaks to NDTV Science Editor Pallava Bagla

"We have been training for the past four-five months. We now understand the entire CONOPS, the concept of operations, and going forward from here it would mostly be repetition of the things that we have done. So we are ready and confident in our abilities to execute this mission successfully," Group Captain Shukla added.

On whether he would perform yoga as was done by Wing Commander Rakesh Sharma in space, Group Captain Shukla said, "Yes, now that you have said so, I would probably demonstrate a few poses of yoga while we are up on the station."

"But a more important aspect is that we need to practice while we are on the ground so that we have a healthy body which can house a healthy mind and allow us to execute this mission in our full spirits, truly," Group Captain Shukla said.

He added in Hindi, "I am very excited about this mission, and I think the kind of training we have done so far makes me confident in my abilities. We will be able to execute this mission very well. Thank you."

The Axiom 4 Mission team

Ms Whitson praised her team which has a diverse composition.

"These guys are very intelligent, so they absolutely listen to me," she said. "It is an interesting challenge to bring a diverse group from different countries together. I had that opportunity on the previous Axiom mission. And even on the NASA missions, we work as a very international team. But that is what I love to do. I love to bring people together and to build a team. And so that is kind of my main goal of this mission is to build that elite team. And I think I have got it here."

The first private astronaut mission to the ISS, Axiom Mission 1, lifted off in April 2022 for a 17-day mission aboard the orbiting laboratory.

The second private astronaut mission to the station, Axiom Mission 2, also was commanded by Ms Whitson and launched in May 2023 with four private astronauts who spent eight days in orbit.

The most recent private astronaut mission, Axiom Mission 3, launched in January 2024; the crew spent 18 days docked to the ISS.

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Bengaluru Woman Quits Rs 1.5 Lakh Job To Start Baking. Internet Impressed

Asmita, a Bengaluru woman, is inspiring many online with her courageous decision to leave a lucrative corporate career to pursue her passion.  Formerly an HR professional earning Rs 1.5 lakh per month, she left her well-paying tech job in 2023 to become a professional baker.

Asmita's inspiring story went viral after her husband, Sagar, shared a picture of her delicious baked goods on X (formerly Twitter).  His post, which included a photo of her muffins and the caption "My wife left a 1.5 L pm job to make these. Thank God she did," highlighted her talent and dedication.

See the post here:

My wife left a 1.5 L pm job
to make these

thank god she did! pic.twitter.com/Bwv6qGjbmY

— Sagar👨‍💻 🚀 (@code_sagar) January 25, 2025

The post quickly caught the attention of social media users, who applauded Asmita's decision. While many extended their best wishes, others commended her for pursuing her dreams.

"Looks delicious! Btw, your wife is pursuing her passion, and I'm sure it will lead to great success one day," a user wrote on X.

"looks lovely! I wish you and your wife my best," another user wrote.

"People should take it as a learning that even a 30 LPA job can't provide complete fulfilment....It should be what your heart truly wants," the third user wrote. 

"She made a good choice," the fourth user commented. 

"Glad to see you supported this dream and recognised this art. Best wishes to both," the fifth user commented.  

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Woman Raped, Acid Poured On Her In Front Of Children In Assam

A 30-year-old woman was allegedly raped and poured acid on in front of her two children in Assam's Cachar district, police said on Wednesday. The incident took place on January 22 when the 28-year-old accused - the victim's neighbour - barged into her house.

According to the police, the two had engaged in a verbal spat during which the victim had snubbed her neighbour. Hours later, the accused forced his way into the woman's home when her husband was away.

When the victim's husband returned home, he found his wife on the floor with her mouth, hands, and feet tied. An acid-like substance was also poured on her body, officials said.

The woman was rushed to the Silchar Medical College and Hospital and is in a critical condition, officials said.

The accused is currently on the run.

The victim's husband has filed a case of sexual assault and the police are on the lookout for the accused.

Officials are also awaiting the medical report to ascertain whether the woman was raped.

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Over 30 Million Years Old Pre-Historic Fossil Stolen From Meghalaya Village

A rare pre-historic fossil, possibly 35 to 40 million years old, has been stolen from a village in Meghalaya, leaving people in shock and outraged. The fossil was discovered in May last year in the state's Tolegre village in South Garo Hills.

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) had examined the site last year and collected samples. Following this, the villagers were safeguarding the remaining fossil by restricting access to the area, officials said.

The fossil is possibly from the extinct Rodhocetus or Ambulocetus - early ancestors of modern whales.

A case has been filed at the Siju Police Station and the police are on the lookout for the culprits, officials said.

According to Meghalaya Education Minister Rakkam Sangma, the state government was planning to build a museum at the site.

"The villagers informed me...They have filed an FIR. This is very unfortunate. It should not have happened...A portion of the fossil has been cut and taken away. This fossil is an asset to the state and the country. We will find and arrest the culprit," he said.

"This site is located in Tolegre under my constituency, under Siju Police Station, South Garo Hills, Meghalaya. Geologists from abroad had discovered it. The state government was considering constructing a museum at the site, and as the local MLA, I was planning to push for it. Now, we will have to see how things unfold. The police will conduct an inquiry," Mr Sangma added.

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Putin Says Talks With Ukraine Possible, But Not With Zelensky

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday that talks with Ukraine were possible but not with its President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he deemed "illegitimate".

US President Donald Trump has put pressure on both sides to end the nearly three-year conflict, saying last week that Zelensky wanted to negotiate a "deal" to stop the fighting.

"If (Zelensky) wants to participate in the negotiations, I will allocate people to take part in the negotiations," Putin said, calling the Ukrainian leader "illegitimate" because his presidential term expired during martial law.

"If there is a desire to negotiate and find a compromise, let anyone lead the negotiations there... Naturally, we will strive for what suits us, what corresponds to our interests," he added.

Putin also claimed the fighting would end in two months or less if the West cut its support to Kyiv.

"They will not exist for a month if the money and, in a broad sense, the bullets run out. Everything would be over in a month and a half or two," Putin said.

The conflict has shown no signs of de-escalating despite Trump's promise to enact a quick ceasefire once in office.

Russian officials said Monday that nobody in Trump's team had reached out about setting up a meeting with Putin, but that both sides appeared to be ready for one.

Kyiv has warned against it being excluded from any peace talks, accusing Putin of wanting to "manipulate" Trump.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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What Is 'One Nation, One Time' Initiative, How It May Work

In order to ensure precision and uniformity in timekeeping across the country, the Indian government recently published a draft of new metrology rules for Indian Standard Time (IST) for public consultation. The draft, devised by the Department of Consumer Affairs, in collaboration with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is part of a broader 'One India, One Time' initiative that intends to transition from GPS to India's regional navigation system for time synchronization, ensuring that the country has a self-reliant and secure timekeeping system.

Currently, IST is determined, down to the millisecond, using GPS satellites linked to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). However, reports suggest that the government is gearing towards the transition to using Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC) for time dissemination.

"IST shall be the mandatory time reference across all sectors, including commerce, transport, public administration, legal contracts, and financial operations," the draft rule stated.

How will 'One Nation, One Time' work?

Though the government is yet to provide the official procedure for time synchronization, multiple reports claim that atomic clocks will be used to maintain the accuracy of IST, which is currently set 5 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). The NPL, located in New Delhi is currently primary source of IST, equipped with advanced atomic clocks that lose only a second over millions of years.

The NPL will provide reference time to four regional centers in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, and Guwahati via optical fibre, ensuring that the time is uniformly accurate across the country. Each centre will also have an atomic clock to create a robust network that supports precision timing.

Display and use of IST

The draft stated that all government offices and public institutions will be required to display IST on all time-keeping devices, ensuring synchronisation through reliable sources like Network Time Protocol (NTP) or Precision Time Protocol (PTP) or any other source.

Exceptions

Notably, the use of alternative timescales such as GMT will be permitted for specific purposes such as astronomy, navigation and scientific research, "subject to prior permission and compliance with government directives".

What's the current situation?

Despite its significance, not all telecom and internet service providers have adopted IST mandatorily, with many still relying on foreign time sources. Efforts are underway to align these systems with IST to enhance national security and operational efficiency.

After the deployment of atomic clocks, the time shown on digital watches, smartphones and laptops will be based on them instead of service providers accessing data from multiple sources linked to GPS.

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Champions Trophy Stadiums In A Mess In Pakistan, ICC CEO Steps Down

International Cricket Council CEO Geoff Allardice has decided to step down just weeks before the Champions Trophy with a board member indicating that his failure to present a "clear picture" of host Pakistan's lack of preparedness is one of the multiple reasons behind the move. The 57-year-old joined the ICC in 2012 as General Manager of Cricket, coming from Cricket Australia, where he served as Cricket Operations Manager. He was appointed CEO of the ICC in November 2021, after having served as acting CEO for eight months.

"It has been a privilege to serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the International Cricket Council and I am incredibly proud of the results we have achieved, from enhancing the global reach of cricket to the commercial foundation put in place for ICC Members," Allardice said in a statement.

"I believe this is the right time for me to step down and pursue new challenges," he added.

The official ICC statement made no mention of the exact reasons for Allardice's departure but a top source said the development has been building up for a while.

"The ICC T20 World Cup in the US was big a flop in terms of playing conditions and also it exceeded budget, the auditing is still being done," the board member told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

"What broke the camel's back was Champions Trophy where as CEO, he was supposed to give a clear picture about readiness of Pakistan to host a tourney of such magnitude," he added.

The Champions Trophy is due to start on February 19 with India playing its share of matches in Dubai owing to security concerns in Pakistan.

The bigger concern for ICC is, however, the fact that tournament venues in Karachi and Rawalpindi are still partially under construction or renovation and the images that have trickled in from there do not paint a very positive picture.

It remains to be seen whether Pakistan would be ready in time for the marquee event, which features the world's top eight teams and is being held for the first time after 2017.

However, ICC Chair Jay Shah praised Allardice for his contribution to the game.

"On behalf of the ICC Board, I want to sincerely thank Geoff for his leadership and commitment during his tenure as Chief Executive. His efforts have played a key role in advancing cricket globally.

"We are truly grateful for his service and wish him all the very best in his future endeavors," he said.

The ICC Board will now begin the process to identify Allardice's successor.

His departure continues the exodus of former chair Greg Barclay's team from the ICC.

Earlier, Chris Tetley (head of events), Alex Marshall (head of Anti-Corruption Unit) and Claire Furlong (head of marketing and media) had quit their positions on personal grounds. 

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