Arabian Sea

Reports say Pakistan has launched a new missile in a move seen as a challenge to India, with attention focused on the Arabian Sea as a potential new front in the rivalry between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. Analysts are weighing what the launch means for regional security and military balance in South Asia. Details about the missile's capabilities and the exact circumstances of the test remain limited, but the development is drawing wide interest given long-standing India-Pakistan tensions.

A new study suggests the humpback whales of the Arabian Sea may constitute a distinct subspecies. The population is already known as an unusual, non-migratory group isolated from other humpback whales for thousands of years. Marine scientists say formal recognition could strengthen conservation measures for the small, vulnerable population, and the finding is being shared among marine biology and cetacean research communities.