
Africa Launches First Space Agency in Egypt's Cairo Firstpost Africa
Africa Launches First Space Agency in Egypt's Cairo | Firstpost Africa | N18G
Africa Launches First Space Agency in Egypt's Cairo | Firstpost Africa | N18G
Africa has officially launched its first continental space agency in Cairo — a major step in the continent's growing space ambitions. The African Space Agency, established under the African Union, will coordinate national space programs, launch satellites, and improve climate and weather monitoring. With over 60 satellites launched by 18 African countries so far — all from outside the continent — this agency marks a turning point. From boosting disaster response to building data-sharing systems, the goal is to strengthen Africa's space infrastructure. Could this be the start of a new space era for Africa? Watch the full report.
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Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
KU preferred institution among foreign students
T'puram: The University of Kerala is fast establishing itself as a leading international education destination, experiencing significant growth in foreign student enrolments over four years. For the 2025-26 academic year, the institution received 2,620 applications from 81 nations, marking a substantial increase from 1,100 students in 2021-22. According to Prof Sabu Joseph, director of the Centre for Global Academics (CGA), the university maintains its position as Kerala's foremost institution for international student intake. "The numbers demonstrate consistent growth 1,100 students from 35 countries in 2021-22, increasing to 1,400 in 2022-23, 1,600 in 2023-24 and 2,600 in 2024-25 from 64 countries. The 2025-26 academic year saw 2,620 applications from 81 countries, all submitted to the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) portal for selection," he said. The current application distribution includes 1,265 for undergraduate programmes, 1,020 for postgraduate courses, and 335 for PhD studies. African nations constitute the largest applicant group, with sizeable applications from Iran, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Philippines, Bhutan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Jordan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Africa, Russia, France, and the USA. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Over 40 and Struggling With Belly Fat? Try 1 Teaspoon Daily (See What Happens A Week Later) Health Benefits Undo Popular course selections focus on commerce and management studies, with strong interest in political science, psychology, economics, education, linguistics and English literature. Scientific disciplines, including computer science, biotechnology, chemistry, environmental sciences, mathematics, physics and statistics also attract applicants. The university currently hosts 205 international students from 52 countries, including Colombia, Peru, UK, and the USA, through ICCR scholarships and self-financing options. Support services include orientation programmes, cultural events, and annual graduation ceremonies, creating an inclusive academic environment. "The university's NAAC A++ accreditation, strong NIRF rankings, efficient admission procedures, and advanced research facilities have established its position as a preferred international education hub. This sustained growth reflects its increasing global influence and dedication to academic excellence and multicultural education," said Sabu Joseph, adding that the KU continues to strengthen its position as an educational leader.


India Today
3 days ago
- India Today
Humans adapted to diverse habitats before trekking out of Africa
Small bands of Homo sapiens made a few failed forays leaving our home continent before the species finally managed to launch a major dispersal out of Africa roughly 50,000 years ago, going first into Europe and Asia and eventually the rest of the why was this migration successful after the prior ones were not? New research is offering insight. It documents how human hunter-gatherers in Africa began about 70,000 years ago to embrace a greater diversity of habitats such as thick forests and arid deserts, acquiring an adaptability useful for tackling the wide range of conditions awaiting beyond the the dispersal 50,000 years ago was successful is a big question in human origins research. Our results suggest that one part of the reason is that humans had developed the ecological flexibility to survive in challenging habitats," said Loyola University Chicago archeologist Emily Hallett, co-leader of the study published in the journal Nature. Looking at an array of archeological sites in Africa, the study detailed how human populations expanded their range into the forests of Central and West Africa and the deserts of North Africa in the roughly 20,000 years preceding this examples of archeological sites dating to this time that illustrate the expansion of human niches to harsh deserts include locales in Libya and Namibia, and examples of expansion to forested habitats include locales in Malawi and South sapiens arose roughly 300,000 years ago, inhabiting grasslands, savannahs and various other African ecosystems."Starting from about 70,000 years ago, we see that they suddenly start to intensify this exploitation of diverse habitats and also expand into new types of habitat in a way we don't see before. They exploit more types of woodland, more types of closed canopy forests, more types of deserts, highlands and grasslands," said archeologist and study co-leader Eleanor Scerri of the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology in Germany."An Ice Age was coming, which means drier conditions in parts of Africa. It seems possible that humans responded to this squeeze by learning how to adapt to new niches," Scerri increased ecological flexibility of the species appears to have reflected cultural and social advances such as passing knowledge from one generation to the next and engaging in cooperative behavior, the researchers said."This must have entailed profound changes in their interaction with the natural environment, as it allowed them to occupy not only new environments in Africa, but entirely new conditions in Eurasia as well," said evolutionary biologist and study co-leader Michela Leonardi of the Natural History Museum in London."Another way to phrase this is that the ability to live in a variety of environments in Africa is not directly the adaptation that allowed a successful out of Africa, but rather a sign that humans by that point were the ultimate generalist, able to tackle environments that went from deep forest to dry deserts," said University of Cambridge evolutionary ecologist and study co-leader Andrea flexibility is the key trait that allowed them, later on, to conquer novel challenges, all the way to the coldest tundras in Siberia."Trekking out of Africa, Homo sapiens encountered not only new environments and unfamiliar animals and plants, but also other human species, including the Neanderthals and Denisovans. The ecological flexibility learned in Africa may have provided an edge when Homo sapiens encountered these other humans, both of whom disappeared relatively soon thereafter, the researchers evidence indicates that today's people outside of Africa can trace their ancestry to the population of humans, numbering perhaps only in the thousands, who engaged in that pioneering migration out of Africa approximately 50,000 years ago."I think that adaptability and innovation are hallmarks of our species, and that they allowed us to succeed in every environment we encountered," Hallett said. "At the same time, we are almost too good at adapting to different places, to the detriment of most other species on Earth."Trending Reel


Time of India
5 days ago
- Time of India
Study finds 8 ‘threatened' fish species from IUCN's red list in Goa's waters
Panaji: The aim of the study, said Borkar, was to improve the understanding of Goa's freshwater faunal diversity. 'Until now, the understanding was poor with little information on freshwater Ichthyofaunal diversity in Goa, positioned in the central part of the Western Ghats. Our study also confirms that there is a high mean prey overlap of the native fish groups with invasive alien species (IAS) such as Tilapia and African catfish in freshwater ecosystems of Goa. It is noteworthy that the now naturalised invasive alien species have extensively modified the composition of many freshwater fish assemblages,' said Sreekanth. He said the presence of invasive fish species in open water bodies of Goa is alarming, as it can affect native fish populations through dietary overlap and biodiversity loss. Stock enhancement programmes for native fish populations through captive breeding can be effective in addressing the issue, researcher Trivesh Mayekar said. 'Breeding freshwater fish under captivity is a crucial step for conserving Goa's native species and strengthening native fish biodiversity. By ranching these fingerlings back into rivers and lakes, we can help revive dwindling stocks, protect our rich freshwater heritage, and support the livelihoods of local fishing communities,' he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Вот что поза во сне говорит о вашем характере! Удивительные Новости Undo We are currently developing the breeding and seed production protocol for the indigenous fish species in captivity, he said. The research also found that in terms of diversity of freshwater fish species, River Mandovi was the richest, followed by Zuari, Terekhol, and Chapora. The researchers said that a comprehensive account of the fish diversity of these fragile riverine ecosystems was necessary for conservation and policy-framing. 'In Goa, though sea fish is staple food for locals, the hinterland population depends on freshwater rivers and lakes for supply of fish, particularly in the rainy season when there is a maritime ban on sea fishing,' Borkar said. For the survey, fish sampling was carried out in freshwater ecosystems of Goa from 2020 to 2022. Borkar said that the risk of riverine fish extinctions are linked to anthropogenic stressors as well. 'These anthropogenic activities can negatively impact aquatic biodiversity and proper waste management, and strict riverine conservation policies should be implemented to control the ongoing stressors,' he said.