NewsBytes

ISRO achieves breakthrough in predicting lightning events over India using satellite data  

ISRO said it has achieved a breakthrough in the now-casting (weather forecasting) of  lightning events over India using data from Indian geostationary satellites. The milestone has been achieved by ISRO's National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC). According to ISRO, atmospheric lightning occurs due to the complex interactions of meteorological parameters under the influence of convective processes in the troposphere. Key drivers of these convective phenomena include surface radiation, temperature, and wind. "NRSC/ISRO researchers observed lightning signatures in the Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) data from the INSAT-3D satellite," the space agency said in a statement. The reduction in OLR strength is an indicator for potential lightning occurrences. The near real-time observations from the INSAT series satellites were utilised to detect and identify signatures indicative of lightning occurrences, it explained.

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Trump administration begins mass layoffs at health agencies

The Trump administration has begun firing staff at major US health agencies including the CDC and FDA as part of its plan to cut 10,000 government health jobs, sources familiar with the situation and a health official said. The cuts, which also affect the National Institutes of Health, are part of a broad plan by President Donald Trump and billionaire ally Elon Musk to shrink staffing levels in federal departments and agencies. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has described the cuts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration as essential to streamlining a bloated bureaucracy. However the cuts, including earlier dismissals, have led to the departures of top scientists at key agencies for public health, cancer research and drug oversight, raising concerns about how the US will safely oversee the health sector and respond to emergencies.

EU panel to propose expanding the role of pan-European police agency Europol

The European Commission said it would propose expanding the role of EU law enforcement cooperation agency Europol and boosting law enforcement access to data as part of a strategy to improve the bloc's internal security. Faced with geopolitical challenges, hybrid threats and more digital crime, Europe is looking at ways to better fight organised crime, improve policing and better combat terrorism. In its new strategy, the Commission called for more resources for law enforcement and investing in stronger EU agencies. "We are going to make Europol a truly operational police agency," European Commission Executive Vice President in charge of security Henna Virkkunen said.

Maharashtra govt to set up panel on using AI in government offices 

The Maharashtra cabinet approved to set up a high-powered committee on using artificial intelligence technology in government and semi-government offices. The council of ministers decided to expand the scope of Maharashtra Research and Vigilance for  Enhanced Law Enforcement Ltd (MARVEL), formed in 2024 for using AI in the state police force. MARVEL will assist in implementing AI technology in various government and semi-government offices and protecting official data, the CMO stated. The high-powered panel to be headed by the chief secretary and secretaries of departments will decide on the nature of projects to be handled by MARVEL.