1. Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Global Liveability Index 2026
- Top Ranking City: Copenhagen (Denmark) secured the 1st position globally with an overall liveability score of 98 out of 100.
- Top 5 Global Cities:
- Copenhagen, Denmark
- Vienna, Austria
- Melbourne, Australia
- Sydney, Australia
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Lowest Ranking City: Damascus (Syria) ranked last among 173 surveyed cities due to civil conflict and compromised infrastructure.
- Index Evaluation Parameters: Evaluates urban conditions across 5 primary pillars:
- Stability (crime rates, threat of terror/conflict)
- Healthcare (availability and quality of private/public healthcare)
- Culture & Environment (climate, corruption, social/religious restrictions, consumer goods)
- Education (availability and standards of public/private education)
- Infrastructure (quality of roads, public transport, energy, telecommunications, housing)
- Publishing Body: Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the research and analysis division of The Economist Group based in London, UK.
2. Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Reusable Rocket "RV-X" Test Flight
- Test Details: JAXA successfully completed the first vertical take-off and landing flight test of its RV-X (Reusable Vehicle-eXperimental) prototype at the Noshiro Rocket Testing Center in Akita Prefecture, Japan.
- Technical Specifications:
- Vehicle Dimensions: 7.3 metres tall, 1.8 metres in diameter.
- Engine Durability: Designed for approximately 100 reuse launches.
- Trilateral Multilateral Project (CALLISTO):
- The RV-X flight pathfinder serves as a precursor to CALLISTO (Cooperative Action Leading to Reusable Launch Vehicles Support for Orbital Ascent).
- Joint Venture Partners: JAXA (Japan), CNES (France), and DLR (Germany).
- Strategic Context: Aimed at significantly lowering space launch payload costs to compete in the commercial space market alongside private systems like SpaceX's Falcon 9/Starship and Blue Origin's New Glenn.
- Static GK - JAXA: Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Established in 2003 through the merger of ISAS, NAL, and NASDA; Headquartered in Chofu, Tokyo).
3. India's First Kiwifruit Centre of Excellence (Nagaland & New Zealand Partnership)
- Location: Proposed site at Pfütsero town in Phek district, Nagaland.
- Bilateral Partner: Collaboration between the Government of Nagaland, the Union Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (India), and technical experts from New Zealand’s Bioeconomy Science Institute (BSI).
- Vision & Objectives:
- Position Nagaland as the "Kiwi State of India" by standardizing organic horticultural practices.
- Establish Nagaland's Horticulture Department's first real-time Weather Monitoring Station to facilitate precision farming (analyzing micro-climate, soil health, and water usage).
- Conduct technical knowledge exchange, joint scientific research, and capacity-building training for local farmers in New Zealand.
- Static Agricultural Context - Kiwi Fruit (Actinidia deliciosa):
- Sub-tropical/temperate fruit crop requiring cold winters and humid summers.
- Arunachal Pradesh was the first state in India to obtain organic certification for kiwifruit under the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for North Eastern Region (MOVCDNER).
- New Zealand is one of the world's leading global producers and exporters of Kiwifruit (marketed globally via Zespri).
