Slovakia's Fico Appointed Prime Minister for Fourth Time
Leftist leader Robert Fico was appointed Slovakia's Prime Minister for the fourth time, after pledging in his election campaign to end military support for Ukraine and criticising sanctions on Russia.
President Zuzana Caputova appointed Fico and his cabinet after his SMER-SSD party won the September election and formed a coalition with the centre-left HLAS and nationalist SNS parties.
Fico quit as Prime Minister in 2018 amid mass public protests against corruption after a journalist was murdered.
India Ranks Third in Fintech Unicorns
According to global research firm Statista, India secured the third position worldwide in the number of financial technology (fintech) unicorns. The United States and the United Kingdom continued to dominate the field, holding the first and second positions, respectively, both in terms of quantity and overall value.
In 2023, India has secured the third position in the global fintech landscape with 17 fintech unicorns. This significant achievement underscores the country's growing influence in the world of finance and technology. India's top profitable companies include Zerodha, Billdesk, Paytm, and others. Fintech giants like Paytm have exhibited impressive financial growth, with Paytm recording a 32 percent growth in revenue during the second quarter of fiscal year 2023-24.
The US is home to an impressive 134 fintech unicorns, producing the highest value in the industry. Visa, Paypal, and Mastercard are among the dominant players, collectively contributing to a market capitalization of $1.2 trillion. Meanwhile, the UK ranks second with 27 fintech unicorns, making a substantial mark on the global fintech stage.
UN Chief Appoints 39-member Panel to Advise on International AI Governance
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of a 39-member global advisory panel to report on international governance of artificial intelligence and its risks, challenges and key opportunities.
The U.N. chief said that the gender-balanced, geographically diverse group which spans generations will issue preliminary recommendations by the end of the year and final recommendations by the summer of 2024. The recommendations will feed into the U.N. Summit of the Future, which world leaders will attend in September 2024.
Among the members of the advisory body are the Secretary-General's Envoy on Technology Amandeep Singh Gill; co-founder of iSPIRT Foundation, a non-profit technology think-tank that has conceptualised India Stack, Health Stack, and other digital public goods, Sharad Sharma; and Lead Researcher at Hugging Face, India, Nazneen Rajani.
IndusInd Bank Ties up with Viamericas to Enhance Fast Remit Platform
IndusInd Bank entered into collaboration with Viamericas Corporation to offer non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the US digital inward remittance services on the 'Indus Fast Remit' platform. The service will offer competitive exchange rates on remittances to India.
NRIs can initiate remittance transactions using the auto debit payment mode (automated clearing house - ACH) through their overseas bank accounts on the Fast Remit platform. Viamericas Corporation will leverage its existing Vostro relationship with IndusInd Bank to credit beneficiary accounts in India, utilising the RBI's RDA scheme. The digital remittance platform assures customers transparency of payment status, the exact INR amount to be received by the beneficiary, and the expected delivery time.
Mobikwik's Zaakpay Gets in-principle Nod to Operate as Payment Aggregator
Zaakpay, the secure payment gateway arm of MobiKwik, received in-principle authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a payment aggregator. This authorisation allows Zaakpay to onboard new merchants onto its platform, facilitating quick and easy processing of online payments.
The platform collaborates with various brands in e-commerce, mobility, and bill payments, offering over 100 different payment methods including UPI, debit and credit cards, net banking, and mobile wallets. Zaakpay also ensures security through multiple encryption levels, system-level firewalls, and compliance with standards such as PCI DSS, PA DSS, Tokenisation, and security standards issued by regulators and network operators.
India Begins Producing 'Reference' Fuel
India marked a significant milestone in its quest for self-reliance in the automotive sector by introducing the production of 'reference' petrol and diesel. This development places India among a select group of nations capable of producing these highly specialized fuels, which are crucial for calibrating and testing vehicles.
These 'reference' fuels are distinct from regular and premium petrol and diesel, as they possess higher specifications, making them vital for calibrating and testing vehicles by manufacturers and agencies like the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) and the Automotive Research Association of India. For decades, India has heavily relied on imports to meet the demand for these specialized fuels, creating a dependence on foreign suppliers.
The Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has played a crucial role in this achievement by developing indigenous products to replace imports.
IOC's Paradip refinery in Odisha will produce 'reference' grade petrol, while its Panipat unit in Haryana will produce high-quality diesel.
Russia to Put First Segment of its Own ISS in Orbit by 2027
President Vladimir Putin said that the first segment of Russia's new orbital station, which Moscow sees as the next logical development in space exploration after the International Space Station (ISS), should be put into operation by 2027. In a meeting with space industry officials, Putin also vowed to proceed with Russia's lunar programme despite the failure in August 2023 of its first moon shot in 47 years.
Indian Junior Women's 10m Air Rifle Team Clinches Gold at Asian Championships
The Indian women's junior 10m air rifle team, comprising Sonam Uttam Maskar, Gautami Bhanot and Jasmeen Kaur, clinched the gold medal with a junior meet record at the Asian Shooting Championships in Changwon, South Korea.
The team aggregated 1891.6 points for the top podium finish.
National Games: Fencer Bhavani Defends Title
Olympian fencer C. A. Bhavani Devi, representing Tamil Nadu, defended her National Games gold medal in the women's sabre individual event after beating S. Sowmiya of Kerala 15-5 in the final in Goa. Shiksha Ballouria of Himachal Pradesh and Jagmeet Kaur of Punjab won the bronze medals.
The Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPRD) will conduct a 5G Hackathon VIMARSH 2023 to address the challenges faced by Law Enforcement Agencies. The students can submit their ideas between the 1st of November to the 9th of December this year (2023). The grand finale of VIMARSH 2023 will be organised on the 28th of February 2024.
Director General, BPRD Balaji Srivastava said that the Hackathon will be jointly organised by the Home Ministry, the Department of Telecom and Telecom Centres of Excellence India. He said, nine Problem Statements have been formulated to conduct a Hackathon with students and start-ups. A cash award of one lakh fifty thousand rupees will be given to each winning team.
The Hackathon will involve three stages of ideas screening - Stages I and 2 will be done in virtual mode whereas Stage -3 in physical mode.
The BPRD functions under the Union home ministry as the central police think tank.
Eight Former Indian Navy Officers Get Death Penalty in Qatar
Eight former Indian Navy personnel, who had been employed by a company in Doha, Qatar were handed the death penalty by a local court in Doha in an alleged case of espionage. The Indian government expressed its shock at the verdict, and said that all legal options were being explored.
The eight men have been in the custody of Qatari authorities since August 2022. The Court of First Instance of Qatar passed the judgment against them.
The Indian nationals, who were employed by the Al Dahra company in Doha, were allegedly accused of breaching sensitive secrets at the time of their arrest last year. In their work with Dahra Global Technologies and Consultant Services, the former navy personnel were reportedly involved in training various security-related service providers of the State of Qatar. The company was also involved in producing high-tech Italian-origin submarines that are known for stealth capabilities.
BRO Completes Kandi Tunnel ahead of Schedule in J&K
The Border Road Organisation (BRO) said that it has achieved a significant milestone by completing 260 meters-long Kandi Tunnel ahead of schedule in the ongoing Project Sampark on National Highway 144A (NH144A) which connects Akhnoor with Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir.
The BRO said that this crucial project has been divided into eight packages, and there is a remarkable progress in enhancing the horizontal and vertical profile of the road.
Lt Col Suneel Bartwal said that in a commendable feat of engineering, the first four tunnels including 260 meters Kandi Tunnel has achieved its breakthrough.
In a First, India, EU Carry Out Joint Naval Drills in Gulf of Guinea
India and the European Union carried out their first joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Guinea reflecting growing maritime security cooperation between the two sides. The exercise took place around three weeks after the EU-India Maritime Security Dialogue in Brussels deliberated on ways to expand cooperation in the maritime sphere.
During the exercise, Indian Navy's INS Sumedha, an offshore patrol vessel, was joined by Italian Navy ship ITS Foscari, French Navy Ship FS Ventose, and Spanish Navy Ship Tornado representing the EU.
The four ships practised a series of tactical manoeuvres in international waters off the coast of Ghana, including a boarding exercise, a flying exercise using the helicopters embarked on French ship Ventose and Indian Naval ship Sumedha, and transfer of personnel between ships.
China's former Premier Li Keqiang died, after retiring from a decade in office during which his reformist star had dimmed. He was 68.
Once viewed as a top Communist Party leadership contender, Li was sidelined in recent years by President Xi Jinping, who tightened his grip on power and steered the world's second-largest economy in a more statist direction.
Li was premier and head of China's cabinet under Xi for a decade until stepping down from all political positions in March 2023.
Bollywood Actress Katrina Kaif Joins Swiss Watchmaker Rado as Brand Ambassador
Rado, the iconic Swiss watchmaker renowned for its innovation in materials to create timeless designs, announced Bollywood actress Katrina Kaif as its global brand ambassador. This exciting partnership reinforces Rado's commitment in creating memories that last a lifetime.
This exciting partnership was announced with the release of a captivating campaign video that transported viewers to a breath-taking desert landscape; Katrina represents the timeless modern day woman who cherishes romancing time with the new Centrix on her wrist. She perfectly embodies the essence of Rado and the spirit of the Centrix watch.
World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH) is celebrated on October 27 every year to highlight and promote the importance of such preservation. Audiovisual heritage refers to documents like film, sounds, radio, television programmes and other audios and videos that are of socio-cultural importance and need preservation for posterity. Such documentations help us observe and understand the past, protects our memories and culture.
In 2005, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) declared 27 October as the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage (WDAH) during the 33rd session of the UNESCO General Conference held in Paris, France.
The theme for the World Day for Audiovisual Heritage 2023 is 'Your Window to the World'.
Mani Ratnam and Luca Guadagnino Receive Excellence in Cinema Award at MAMI Mumbai Film Festival
Popular Indian filmmaker Mani Ratnam and Italian filmmaker Luca Guadagnino were presented with the Excellence in Cinema Award at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival (October 27 to November 5). The award was presented to both the filmmakers at the opening night ceremony on October 27, 2023. Both directors attended the festival and received this prestigious accolade.
MAMI's Excellence in Cinema award honours individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the world of cinema. Previous recipients of the awards include Darren Aronofsky, Sharmila Tagore, Fernando Meirelles, and Chen Kaige.
IIT Madras Researchers Develop Platform to Help Start-ups Access Government Funding
The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras researchers at the Centre for Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST) developed an 'Intelligence Platform on Government Funding Schemes for Start-ups' to boost the start-up sector.
Developed and implemented in partnership with YNOS, an IIT Madras-incubated start-up, the government funding platform for start-ups brings together the entire spectrum of start-up schemes from the government to the doorsteps of the entrepreneur.
The platform has been developed based on several years of research and data collected by a team led by Professor Thillai Rajan, Principal Investigator of CREST, and the faculty of the Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras.
The portal will help entrepreneurs to get a comprehensive understanding of the government funding landscape for start-ups.
Justice Ravindra Bhat Appointed Distinguished Professor by Dr. B. R. Ambedkar NLU, Sonepat
The Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Law University, Sonepat, appointed Justice Shripathi Ravindra Bhat as a Distinguished Professor and Faculty member.
As per NLU Sonepat, the distinguished former judge of the Supreme Court of India brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the academic arena, promising numerous invaluable advantages for students and the institution as a whole.
Arjun Munda Inaugurates National Tribal Festival in Ahmedabad
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs, Arjun Munda and Chief Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendra Patel inaugurated the Aadi Mahotsav at Ahmedabad and paid a reverent tribute to Bhagwan Birsa Munda. The 10-day mega event is being organized by the TRIFED (Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India, Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs), at the Ahmedabad Haat, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad. The theme of the festival is 'Celebration of Tribal Entrepreneurship, Crafts, Culture and Commerce'.
The Aadi Mahotsav features the exhibition-cum-sale of tribal handicrafts, art, paintings, fabric, jewellery, cuisine and much more through 100 stalls. More than 200 tribal artisans and artists from across the country are participating in the festival.
The Aadi Mahotsav will conclude on the 3rd of November.
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