World Briefs

‘Indian-origin climate scientist wins prestigious prize in US

Houston: Indian-origin climate scientist Veerabhadran Ramanathan has been awarded the 2026 Crafoord Prize in Geosciences by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Often described as the “Nobel of Geosciences,” the prize recognises Ramanathan’s decades of research on super-pollutants and atmospheric brown clouds, which have reshaped understanding of global warming. Ramanathan, 82, made a landmark discovery in 1975 while working at NASA: chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), widely used in aerosols and refrigeration, trap heat in the atmosphere up to 10,000 times more effectively than carbon dioxide.

britain expels Russian diplomat in tit-for-tat move

london: Britain’s government said Monday it revoked the accreditation of a Russian diplomat in response to Moscow’s decision to expel a British diplomat last month over allegations of spying. The Foreign Office said it summoned Russian ambassador Andrey Kelin to condemn “Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified decision” and “baseless accusations” against British embassy staff. “It is deeply disappointing that Russia continually seeks to disrupt the work of the UK’s diplomatic missions and deter our support for Ukraine,” it said in a statement. “Any further action taken by Russia will be considered an escalation and responded to accordingly.”