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This Week in Explainers: What will Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla do in space?
Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian to reach the International Space Station (ISS) on the Axiom-4 Mission. As he and his three other colleagues adjust to microgravity, what will they do during their 14-day stay in space? All this and more in our weekly roundup read more
Visiting crew in dark blue, Axiom Space's Peggy Whitson, left, Hungary's Tibor Kapu, 2nd left, India's Shubhanshu Shukla, center, and Poland's Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski, center right, aboard the International Space Station, June 26, 2025. Nasa via AP
It was a week of pride for India. Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla has become the first Indian to go to the International Space Station (ISS) on the Axiom-4 Mission (Ax-4). He flew to space on board SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket that blasted off from Nasa's Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
The UK Royal Navy's F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jet continues to be stranded in Kerala, two weeks after it made an emergency landing. The aircraft is parked in an open space at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
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A blockbuster weight-loss drug, Wegovy, has entered the Indian market. Weight-loss jabs have taken the world by storm. Their popularity has grown as they effectively help people lose weight.
Here is all this and more in our weekly wrap from India.
1. Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla , along with three other crew members of the Axiom-4 mission, reached the ISS on the Crew Dragon spacecraft after a 28-hour journey around the Earth. With this, Shukla became only the second Indian to go to space.
From Earth to orbit, cultures, crews, and missions unite 250 miles above our world. A heartfelt welcome to the #Ax4 crew as they join Expedition 73 aboard the International @Space_Station. pic.twitter.com/6cyfNkcx9S — NASA's Johnson Space Center (@NASA_Johnson) June 26, 2025
In his first message from space, the Indian astronaut described his journey as a 'wonderful ride'. Shukla and his team will spend 14 days on the International Space Station and carry out dozens of experiments. But what are these? We take a look here .
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2. The British Royal Navy's F-35B Lightning jet is grounded at Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram International Airport. The aircraft made an emergency landing on the night of June 14 as it was low on fuel and encountered bad weather.
The advanced fifth-generation fighter jet is part of the UK Royal Navy's aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales. According to the Indian Air Force (IAF), the British plane was 'undertaking routine flying outside of the Indian Air Defence Identification Zone' when it faced problems and Thiruvananthapuram was 'earmarked as the emergency recovery field'. But even after two weeks, why has the jet not left India yet? Read our story to know more.
3. Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani will script history by becoming New York City's mayor. The 33-year-old has defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the NYC Democratic primary election.
If elected, Mamdani will be New York's first Muslim and Indian-American mayor. His stunning victory over Cuomo has brought one of his old posts about a politician from Kerala — Arya Rajendran — to the limelight. But who is she? Why did Mamdani retweet a post about her? Here's our story .
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4. Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk has launched its weight-loss drug Wegovy in India. Semaglutide, marketed under the brand name Wegovy, is a prescription drug to tackle obesity and reduce cardiovascular risks.
The launch comes just a few months after the US-based pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly, introduced Mounjaro in India. Chemically known as tirzepatide, it is a diabetes and weight-loss drug. As Wegovy makes its way to the Indian market, we take a look at how it works and compare it with Mounjaro .
5. India's iconic Kolhapuri chappals have made it to the international stage. Prada exhibited its Men's Spring Summer 2026 collection with its models seen walking the runway wearing the 'toe ring sandals'.
The visuals drew the ire of netizens, who criticised Prada for not giving credit to India for the footwear choice. From Louis Vuitton's Snakes and Ladders runway to Chanel's nod to sarees, India has always 'inspired' fashion across the world. We take a look here.
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6. The gang rape of a 24-year-old law student in West Bengal has shocked the state. Three people have been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting the student inside the law college premises in South Kolkata on June 25.
The case has triggered a political furore in Bengal, with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slamming the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) over the law and order situation. The saffron party has also raked up the RG Kar rape-murder case to target the Mamata Banerjee-led government. Here's how the horrific gang rape of the law student came to light.
7. A Chennai techie's obsessive love turned ugly when she committed dark crimes to implicate her love interest. After the man she loved married another woman, Rene Joshilda allegedly used her tech skills to frame him by sending hoax bomb threats across 12 states.
Rene Joshilda is accused of sending hoax bomb threats. Image Courtesy: X
The 30-year-old used allegedly fake email IDs, virtual private networks (VPNs), and the dark web to stay off the radar. However, a small mistake by the robotics engineer proved to be her undoing, leading to her arrest. What happened? Read our story to find out.
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