While India's successful Chandrayaan-3 moon mission drew praise worldwide, some UK journalists sparked controversy with remarks seen as envious and colonialist. After congratulating India's lunar feat, news presenter Patrick Christys suggested Britain should withhold aid money and instead spend it on British taxpayers. He argued for a policy against assisting countries with established space programmes. His views provoked backlash from Indians, who tweeted that the UK stole over £45 trillion from India during colonial rule, leaving it poor. One user said India has now overtaken Britain's economy regardless. Another added the aid money should be subtracted from what the UK looted historically. Journalist Sophie Corcoran echoed halting aid to advanced spacefaring countries like India. The comments faced accusations of racism and jealousy at India's achievements.

India's indigenous aerospace sector is set to receive a major boost as the Indian Air Force plans to order around 100 more LCA Mark1A fighter jets. The decision to procure these Made in India aircraft to replace aging MiG-21s was submitted to the Defence Ministry. It came after IAF chief Air Chief Marshal V.R. Chaudhari reviewed the fighter jet program with HAL and others. Officials say the project is expected to get clearance soon. The LCA Mark1A order demonstrates the IAF's commitment to strengthen India's self-reliance in defence by replacing legacy fleets with indigenous aircraft.

Over 100,000 Indian students were granted UK student visas in 2023, marking a record high. This comes as 21 Indian students were recently deported from the US after immigration checks, causing concern. The US visa cancellations could lead to 5-year US entry bans and create problems entering Canada, the UK, and Australia. Financial losses from visa cancellation are estimated at £3 lakh per student. The deported students from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were en route to begin studies when detained at US airports. Despite having completed requirements, confusion arose from thorough document checks. As Indian student interest in studying abroad surges, visa barriers highlight the need for careful preparation.

After an intense 4-game battle, Magnus Carlsen won his first FIDE World Cup chess title by defeating India's Praggnanandhaa in Thursday's finals. The 18-year-old prodigy had forced a tie-breaker after two drawn games against Carlsen. Despite losing the final, Praggnanandhaa sealed a historic Candidates Tournament spot to challenge world champion Ding Liren. As the youngest and lowest-seeded finalist ever, Praggnanandhaa became the third youngest after Fischer and Carlsen to qualify for Candidates. The Chennai player turned 18 during the World Cup. Though defeated, Praggnanandhaa provided Carlsen with his toughest test yet in a nervy matchup.

India erupted in celebrations as ISRO's Chandrayaan-3 mission successfully landed on the Moon's south pole on August 23rd, making history as the first to achieve this milestone. Approximately eight million viewers tuned in to the livestream, witnessing India become the fourth country to reach the Moon. Social media exploded with praise for ISRO and the Chandrayaan team from citizens, celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, and brands alike. Khan quoted lyrics fittingly about wanting to touch the stars, writing that India and ISRO have now accomplished that dream. The soft landing marks both a symbolic and scientific achievement as ISRO establishes India as a space pioneer.

The real work now begins for India's landmark third moon mission Chandrayaan 3. ISRO will operate the rover and use its payloads to study lunar soil, rocks, seismic activity, and plasma density in the uncharted region. Chandrayaan 3 aims to be the first mission to explore the South Pole for ice and minerals. The rover will also conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis of the lunar surface, measure seismic activity, and study lunar dynamics and plasma density. The systems are designed to function for one lunar day which is 14 days on earth.

India made history by becoming the first nation to land a spacecraft on the south pole of the Moon with its Chandrayaan-3 mission. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) achieved this milestone feat on Wednesday, with the Vikram lander successfully touching down in the hazardous lunar region. Shortly after, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called ISRO chief Somanath from Johannesburg to congratulate him, noting how his name is fittingly linked to the Moon. Video of their conversation shows Modi praising the team and conveying his wish to greet them personally soon for this historic accomplishment, which further cements India's position as a space pioneer.

India has accomplished a historic first by landing its Chandrayaan-3 mission in the unexplored south pole region of the Moon. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) successfully soft-landed the Vikram lander on Thursday, making India only the fourth nation to achieve this milestone after the US, Russia, and China. Celebrations erupted across India as Prime Minister Modi hailed the scientists whose persistence delivered success after the crash of Chandrayaan-2 in 2019. The mission's Pragyaan rover will now study the lunar surface and send back vital data about the south pole, where landing is challenging due to uneven terrain. This breakthrough comes days after Russia's failed Luna-25 Moon landing attempt.

“Fifteen minutes of terror” is what former ISRO chief K Sivan had termed the landing phase of Chandrayaan-2 when ISRO aborted the first attempt to launch the Chandrayaan-2 mission. India will make another attempt at a lunar landing later today with the Chandrayaan-3 mission, four years after the partial failure of Chandrayaan-2. The Vikram lander will initiate its calculated descent sequence around 5:45pm IST, a tense 15-minute process. If successful, Vikram will touch down near the lunar South Pole, deploying the Pragyaan rover onto the surface and making India the fourth nation to operate a rover on the moon. Chandrayaan-3 aims to accomplish what its predecessor could not and firmly establish India's lunar exploration capabilities. 

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) tweeted it is ready to initiate the Automatic Landing Sequence for the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission on Wednesday. ISRO said the landing module will fire throttleable engines for powered descent upon receiving the ALS command around 17:44 IST, with the soft landing on the moon's south pole scheduled for around 18:04 IST. The mission team will closely monitor the sequential execution leading up to the targeted Vikram lander touchdown at 17:45 IST. If successful, Chandrayaan-3 will be the first ever spacecraft to soft-land in the lunar south pole region, achieving a historic milestone for India's space programme. ISRO expressed confidence in the landing systems ahead of the critical lunar arrival manoeuvres.