In Brief

Indian eco firm wins $50 million prize

Washington: An Indian company that spreads crushed rock on farmers’ fields to help draw climate-warming CO2 from the atmosphere has been awarded a $50 million grand prize in a competition funded by Elon Musk’s foundation. Mati Carbon was among 1,300 teams from 88 countries competing for the top prize.

Indian acquitted in Singapore abuse case

Singapore: An Indian-origin man accused of maid abuse in Singapore has walked free after the case was compounded — a process in which an agreement is made with an alleged victim, usually involving a payment or an apology. Under the law, only certain offences can be compounded, according to The Straits Times. 

Two Pak astronauts to be trained by China

Beijing: Two Pakistani astronauts will be selected to receive spaceflight training in China to take part in a joint mission to the country’s space station, the China Manned Space Agency announced on Wednesday. One of the two Pakistanis will have a chance to participate in a joint space mission as payload specialist. 

Beijing, Moscow plan Lunar nuclear plant

Shanghai: China is considering building a nuclear plant on the moon to power the International Lunar Research Station it is planning with Russia. China aims to become a major space power and land astronauts on the moon by 2030, and its planned Chang’e-8 mission for 2028 would lay the groundwork for constructing a permanent, manned lunar base.

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