The two day Summit on Peace in Ukraine at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland ended on Sunday with participants hoping for an end to the war between Moscow and Kyiv. 80 countries and four organisations of the 100 attending delegations supported the final joint communiqué that emerged out of the Path to Peace Summit looking at ways to end the Russia-Ukraine war raging on since February 2022.
India was a notable voice among those who did not sign the document. Current G-20 chair Brazil was in the room only as an observer.
U.S. NSA Jake Sullivan will represent the United States at the summit on Sunday and help establish working groups on returning Ukrainian children from Russia and on energy security.
India is World's Second Largest Emitter of Nitrous Oxide
The report said that atmospheric concentrations of N2O, the third most important greenhouse gas, are increasing faster than predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) emission scenarios.
India is the world's second largest source of nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas that heats up the atmosphere far more than carbon dioxide. Nearly 11% of such global man-made emissions in 2020 were from India, topped only by China at 16%. The major source of these emissions comes from fertiliser usage, according to a global assessment of N2O emissions published in the journal Earth System Science Data.
India Surpasses Hong Kong to Reclaim Fourth Spot in Global Equity Market
India's equity market has once again outpaced Hong Kong, securing the position as the world's fourth-largest by market capitalisation. With India's market value soaring to $5.2 trillion, bolstered by a 10% surge following a post-election market rebound, it now leads Hong Kong, which stands at $5.17 trillion after a 5.4% decline from its peak this year. This marks a significant shift in global market rankings, reflecting India's robust economic fundamentals and investor confidence.
ATM operators in India are advocating for an increase in interchange fees by Rs. 2 per transaction, citing financial sustainability challenges. The Confederation of ATM Industry (CATMI) has formally approached the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to raise the current maximum fee from Rs. 21 to Rs. 23 per transaction, as reported by the Economic Times.
RBI Bags 'Risk Manager of the Year Award 2024' by London's Central Banking Publication
In a remarkable achievement, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been awarded the prestigious "Risk Manager of the Year Award 2024" by Central Banking, a renowned publication headquartered in London. This accolade recognises the RBI's significant strides in cultivating a robust risk culture and heightened awareness, solidifying its essential role in maintaining the stability of India's financial system.
During the recent global economic turbulence, the RBI took a cautious and measured approach to monetary policy. Unlike many other central banks that drastically increased interest rates, potentially stifling economic growth, the RBI maintained a holding stance, keeping rates steady while closely monitoring inflation levels.
This judicious decision aimed to strike a balance between controlling inflationary pressures and supporting economic growth, demonstrating the RBI's effective risk management strategies in navigating challenging economic conditions.
Chinese Satellite Discovers New Solar Atmospheric Rotation Pattern
Chinese scientists using the Chinese H-alpha Solar Explorer (CHASE) telescope have found a new pattern of how the sun's atmosphere rotates. According to the prestigious magazine Nature Astronomy, this new discovery is the first accurate three-dimensional picture of how the sun's atmosphere rotates.
China's H-alpha Solar Explorer (CHASE) is a satellite project that was made to look at the sun. Its main goal is to help us learn more about how the sun works by focusing on its magnetic activity and how its atmosphere behaves.
Because CHASE has so many advanced features, the study team was able to make an accurate map of how the solar atmosphere rotates. Before this, experts didn't know much about the patterns of rotation. The newest discoveries point to a more complicated way for the sun to rotate than was thought before. This could have big effects on how we understand solar physics and how we predict space weather.
Chang'e-7 Mission: Egypt, Bahrain Join China to Build Hyperspectral Camera
Egypt and Bahrain have joined China as international partners to develop and deliver scientific instruments for the Chang'e-7 mission. The Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA), Bahrain's National Space Science Agency, and the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics, and Physics signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop a hyperspectral camera as part of the goal of developing and delivering scientific instruments for the Chang'e-7 mission.
The Chinese lunar mission aimed at searching for water ice at the moon's South Pole in 2026.
In a statement, the CNSA said the project marks the first collaboration between Egypt and Bahrain on lunar exploration, with Egyptian space officials expressing a desire to deepen their partnership with China in future space missions.
According to the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the hyperspectral camera, developed by Egypt and Bahrain, will image and analyse lunar surface materials from orbit, including the Moon's polar regions. In addition, the camera, which is one of the six international payloads chosen by the CNSA for the Chang'e-7 lunar mission, can provide high-quality hyperspectral data for diverse fields, such as environmental monitoring, natural resource surveys, and climate change studies.
England Faces Serbia at Euro 2024 in Group C Opener as Three Lions Aim to End 58 Years of Hurt
England is among the favourites to win the European Championship and end its long wait for a first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup. Gareth Southgate's team begins its campaign against Serbia in Group C.
Olympics Qualifier: Bhajan Kaur Seals Paris Quota with Gold
Bhajan Kaur clinched India an Olympics quota in style, winning a gold medal at the 'Archery in Paris Final Olympic Qualifier'. The inexperienced Bhajan grabbed the limelight by stunning top seed Mobina Fallah of Iran without dropping a set to clinch the women's individual recurve gold. The third seed showed exceptional shooting to go all the way, winning 6-2 (28-26, 29-29, 29-26, 29-29) in a one-sided final.
Her teammate Ankita Bhakat made a quarterfinal exit, but she also secured an Olympics quota by virtue of that last-eight entry. The individual quotas are allotted to the top-eight nations. Each country gets one individual quota. India thus have secured individual quotas in both men's and women's sections. Dhiraj Bommadevara had secured the men's individual quota from the Asian qualifying leg earlier.
Lovlina Borgohain Loses to Li Qian, Clinches Silver in Grand Prix
Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain lost to China's Li Qian to settle for the silver medal in the women's 75kg contest at the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem in the Czech Republic. The Paris Olympics-bound Borgohain lost by a 2-3 split verdict against the reigning Asian Games champion. Qian, who is a two-time Olympics medallist and has a three World Championships medals, had defeated Borgohain in the summit clash of the Asian Games last year.
Ganemat Sekhon, Sheeraz Sheikh and Anantjeet Singh Naruka stayed in the hunt for medals after the fourth and penultimate round of qualification at the ongoing ISSF Shotgun World Cup in Lonato, Italy. Ganemat shot rounds of 25 and 23 for a two-day total of 95 (25,22,25,23), which put her in ninth spot in women's skeet. In men's skeet, both Sheeraz and Anantjeet have tallied 97 after four rounds and are just two hits off the pace.
Dhankhar Inaugurates 'Prerna Sthal' in the Parliament Complex
Dhankhar stated that the 'Prerna Sthal' aims to inspire and motivate people.This comes amidst the Congress party's criticism over the relocation of the statues from their original spots.
Rajya Sabha chairperson and vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday inaugurated the 'Prerna Sthal' in the Parliament complex. This newly established site now hosts statues of national icons and freedom fighters that were previously scattered across the premises.
The event was attended by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha deputy chairman Harivansh, Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, and his deputies Arjun Ram Meghwal and L. Murugan. Information and broadcasting and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was also in attendance.
India to Host its First Multinational Air Exercise Tarang Shakti in August
The Indian Air Force's first multinational air exercise, Tarang Shakti-2024, will be held in August, and is likely to see the participation of ten countries, in addition to a few others acting as observers.
"Enriched with the Red Flag exercise experience, the IAF keenly looks forward to hosting the participating contingents from other countries during Tarang Shakti-2024, which is the first ever Indian multinational air exercise to be held later this year," the IAF said on Sunday in a statement on the just concluded Red Flag exercise hosted by the U.S. Air Force.
The plan is to invite friendly foreign countries with whom the IAF interacts regularly and has a certain degree of interoperability, officials said. Tarang Shakti was earlier planned to be held at the end of 2023, but got deferred.
The exercise is now scheduled to be held in two phases. The first will be held in southern India in the first two weeks of August and the second will be in the western sector from the end of August to mid-September, officials said. Some countries will participate in both phases, while others will join one of the two phases, it has been learnt.
Among the countries sending contingents are Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Germany will deploy fighter jets and also an A-400M transport aircraft, as reported by The Hindu earlier. The A-400M aircraft will be on showcase for the IAF, given that it is a contender for the open tender for medium transport aircraft.
Indian Army Inducts made-in-India Nagastra-1 Suicide Drones
In a significant boost to India's self-reliance in defense technology, the Indian Army has inducted the Nagastra-1 Loiter Munition, the country's first indigenous suicide drone. Developed by Nagpur-based Solar Industries, the Nagastra-1 is a man-portable weaponised drone system designed to neutralise enemy threats with high precision.
The induction of Nagastra-1 marks a critical step towards India's self-sufficiency in drone technology for military applications.
It is said to mark first step in a Journey towards enhancing India's indigenous capabilities in utilising drones and UAVs as crucial components of warfare machinery.
Loiter Munition or suicide drones, are single-use weapons that fly into their targets and detonate on impact, they are capable of circling above a target and waiting for the perfect moment to strike. They are typically designed to loiter around a target area until a target is located, then attack the target by crashing into it.
Former Odisha Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare Passes Away
Former Odisha Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare passed away at the age of 95. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and former CM Naveen Patnaik expressed their deep sorrow over the demise of the veteran politician.
Bhandare was a senior Congress leader from Maharashtra and a former Rajya Sabha member for three terms. He also practised as a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court and served as Governor of Odisha from August 2007 to March 2013.
2024 Kavli Prize Awarded in Astrophysics, Nanoscience & Neuroscience
The 2024 Kavli Prize winners were announced, honoring great work in neuroscience, astrophysics, and nanoscience. Eight well-known scholars from well-known American colleges were recognised for their groundbreaking work in these areas.
A Norwegian-American businessman and philanthropist named Fred Kavli created the Kavli Prize because he wanted to support scientific study that could make people's lives better. After getting $340 million for his company Kavlico in 2000, Kavli started The Kavli Foundation. The foundation's main goal is to advance science for the good of all people. It also works to help people understand and support experts and their work.
The inaugural prize was announced in 2008, and awarded to seven scientists. The Kavli Prizes are awarded in three areas: astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience.
ASTROPHYSICS: David Charbonneau and Sara Seager were given awards for their groundbreaking work in finding exoplanets and figuring out what their atmospheres are like. Their methods have made it easier to look for life in galaxies other than our own.
NANOSCIENCE: Robert Langer, Armand Paul Alivisatos, and Chad Mirkin were honored for making important contributions to nanotechnology. Langer's work on nanoengineering materials for drug delivery systems, Alivisatos's creation of quantum dots for bioimaging, and Mirkin's work on sphere nucleic acids all show how nanoscience has changed medicine and technology.
NEUROSCIENCE: Nancy Kanwisher, Winrich Freiwald, and Doris Tsao made big steps toward understanding how facial recognition works in the brain. This gave scientists new information about how the brain works and how we think.
Indian Railways Entered Its Name into Limca Book of Records
Indian Railways sets a record in the Limca Book of Records for hosting the most people at a public service event.
A massive 40,19,516 people attended the inauguration of railway infrastructure projects by PM Modi on February 26, 2024, at 2,140 venues.
The record event marked the opening of road over/under railway bridges and the laying of foundation stones for new railway stations.
Oracle Partners with Tamil Nadu to Empower Youth with IT Skills
Oracle has teamed up with the Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation to enhance IT skills among the state's youth through the Naan Mudhalvan program. This initiative aims to provide training and certification in cutting-edge technologies like cloud computing, data science, AI, ML, and blockchain, offering employment-linked opportunities to over 200,000 students.
The Naan Mudhalvan program by Oracle in collaboration with Tamil Nadu aims to equip over 200,000 students with skills in cloud computing, data science, AI, ML, and blockchain. The training will be delivered by teachers and academicians directly on campuses, supplemented by digital modules available on Oracle MyLearn.
Alia Bhatt added one more feather to her cap by turning author with "The Adventures of Ed-a-Mamma: Ed Finds A Home", a children's picture book. The actress, who shares 19-month-old daughter Raha with "Brahmastra" co-star-husband Ranbir Kapoor, shared the update on her Instagram page.
Alia Bhatt has started a new chapter of her life by turning into a storyteller. The actor has launched her first children's picture book, and she says she is working on the whole series of books for the future.
Alia took to Instagram to share her excitement about this new role, and shared a picture of herself with the book. She is seen smiling wide for the camera as she poses with the book.
India-IORA Cruise Tourism Conference Concludes in New Delhi
The two day India-IORA Cruise Tourism Conference concluded in New Delhi on June 14. Officials and experts from the Indian Ocean Rim Association, IORA Member States including Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Seychelles and Tanzania participated in the Conference.
The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) is a dynamic inter-governmental organisation aimed at strengthening regional cooperation and sustainable development within the Indian Ocean region through its 22-member states and 10 dialogue partners.
IORA-India Cruise Tourism Conference aims to foster cooperation, knowledge sharing, and strategic partnerships to maximise the potential of cruise, coastal, and marine tourism within the IORA region. The objective of the Conference is to bring together government and business stakeholders from IORA Member States and Dialogue Partners working in the Indian Ocean Region cruise tourism sector and related sectors.
Officials and experts from the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) Member States including Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Seychelles and Tanzania participated.
Kashmiri Pandits Take Part in Kheer Bhawani Temple Festival
Thousands of Kashmiri Pandits converged at the Kheer Bhawani temple in Kashmir Valley's Ganderbal district to attend the annual festival of Zyestha Ashtami. Many of them had migrated to different parts of the country in the 1990s in the wake of raging militancy.
The temple of Kheer Bhawani is located amid chinar trees and has a natural spring, which is considered auspicious by Pandits. According to the community, water in the pond ominously turned black in the 1990s and the community had to face a mass migration in the wake of militancy. The Kheer Bhawani temple is also believed to be an icon of the Hindu-Muslim brotherhood of Kashmir. Local Muslims living around the temple complex serve milk in earthen pots to the Kashmiri Pandit devotees on their arrival in Tullamulla town.
Malabar River Festival 2024: Kayakers From Around the World to Ride White Water Rapids
Kerala's Kozhikode is all set to host the Malabar River Festival 2024, featuring the International White Water Kayaking Championship from July 25 to 28. This exciting event aims to promote white-water kayaking in the region and will be held in Thusaharagiri, Chalipuzha, and Iruvazhinjipuzha. The high-octane events and pre-events will host over 100 national-level kayakers from India and kayaking professionals from over 20 countries.
The Malabar River Festival 2024 is organised by the Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society in collaboration with the Department of Tourism, the District Tourism Promotion Council, and the Kozhikode District Panchayat. The Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association is also providing technical support for this major event.
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