India launched its first privately developed rocket, the Vikram-S, on Friday, a milestone in the country's effort to create a commercial space industry.
The 545-kg rocket developed by space startup Skyroot took off from the Indian space agency's launch site near Chennai.
The rocket has the capability of reaching Mach 5 - five times the speed of sound - and carrying a payload of 83 kg to 100 km.
Video footage showed the rocket taking off from the space centre, leaving a plume of smoke and fire in its trail.
Hyderabad-based Skyroot, founded in 2018 and backed by Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC, was the first space startup to sign an agreement to use Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) launch and test facilities after the government opened the door to private companies in 2020.
It has raised $5.26 billion rupees ($64.42 million) so far and employs about 200 people. Close to 100 people have been involved in its maiden launch project, the company said.
The rocket is expected to reach an altitude of about 81 km before splashing down in about five minutes.
Israel announced a major expansion of military operations in Gaza on Wednesday, saying large areas of the enclave would be seized and added to its security zones, accompanied by large-scale evacuation of population.
A fourth US Army soldier, who together with three others went missing in Lithuania last week when their vehicle sank in a peat bog, has been found dead, US and Lithuanian officials said on Tuesday.
The United Nations on Tuesday dismissed as "ridiculous" an assertion by Israel that there was enough food in the Gaza Strip to last for a long period of time, despite the closure of all 25 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme (WFP).
United Nations officials who surveyed earthquake damage in Myanmar urged the global community to ramp up aid before the looming monsoon season worsens already catastrophic conditions, with the death toll at 2,719 and expected to surpass 3,000.
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has offered his condolences to His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Quwain, on the death of his mother Sheikha Hessa bint Humaid bin Abdul Rahman Al Shamsi.
The UAE’s National Ambulance Service handled 22,903 cases across the country in the first quarter of this year, according to the National Guard Command.
His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain, received condolences on the passing of his mother, the late Sheikha Hessa bint Hamid bin Abdulrahman Al Shamsi, at the majlis held at Emiri Court.