Thailand Set to Become First Country in Southeast Asia to Recognise Same-sex Marriage
Thailand's Senate passed the final reading of a marriage equality law, paving the way for it to become the first country in Southeast Asia to recognise same-sex couples.
The bill came after more than two decades of effort from activists and politicians, after previous drafts did not reach parliament.
With the support of nearly all lawmakers in the upper house, the law next needs royal approval. It will come into force 120 days after it is published in the royal gazette.
LGBT advocates called the move a monumental step forward, as Thailand would be the first nation in Southeast Asia to enact marriage equality legislation and the third territory in Asia, after Nepal and Taiwan.
India Ranks 63rd on Energy Transition Index
India was ranked 63rd on the Energy Transition Index released, in June 2024, by the World Economic Forum.
European nations dominated the top ranks with Sweden topping the index, followed by Denmark, Finland, Switzerland and France in the top five. China was ranked 20th.
The improvement shown by India and other developing countries such as China and Brazil assumes significance as 83% of countries have moved backwards from last year in at least one of the three energy system performance dimensions — security, equity and sustainability.
Ajith Kumar was appointed as the Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dhanlaxmi Bank for a three-year term. Ajith Kumar brings extensive experience from his tenure at Federal Bank, spanning 36 years across key banking domains including Credit, Human Resources, Business, and Branch Operations.
Neeraj Chopra Strikes Gold at Paavo Nurmi Games 2024
Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra once again prove why he is considered one of the best in the world, clinching the gold medal in men's javelin throw at the prestigious Paavo Nurmi Games 2024 in Turku, Finland. With a commanding throw of 85.97 meters, Chopra not only secured the top podium spot but also delivered a performance that solidified his status as a frontrunner for the upcoming Paris Olympics.
New Zealand's Kane Williamson Steps Down from Captaincy Role
New Zealand cricket team skipper Kane Williamson stepped down from his role with immediate effect after his side exited the T20 World Cup 2024 in the group stage. Williamson, regarded as one of the greatest players in the New Zealand men's cricket history also denied a central contract for the 2024-25 season. New Zealand lost to Afghanistan and co-hosts West Indies in the group stage of the T20 World Cup which saw them pack their bags early from the competition.
Arjun Erigaisi Wins Stepan Avagyan Memorial 2024
India's highest-rated chess player GM Arjun Erigaisi dominated the 10-player field and won the Stepan Avagyan Memorial 2024 in Jermuk, Armenia, with a round to spare.
Arjun beat Russia's Volodar Murzin with white pieces in 63 moves and ended the penultimate round (eight) with six points, a full 1.5 points ahead of the three-player deadlock on second position with 4.5 points.
NDTV Most Popular for News in India, TV or Digital: Reuters Institute Report
NDTV 24x7 is India's most watched TV channel, found the prestigious Reuters Institute at Oxford University in its latest report.
The report also listed NDTV's website as India's most popular news website.
NDTV topped the rankings of the Reuters Institute Report for the second year in a row.
BJP Names Incharges for Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand and JK Elections
The BJP moved early to begin preparations in election-bound states and UTs of Haryana, J&K, Maharashtra and Jharkhand by naming incharges.
Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb are the election incharge and co-incharge for Haryana.
Union Minister G. Kishen Reddy was given the charge of Jammu and Kashmir with the Supreme Court earlier telling the government to hold elections in the UT by September.
Two Union Ministers Bhupender Yadav and Ashwini Vaishnaw are incharge and co-incharge, respectively, for the preparedness in Maharashtra where the BJP suffered a major jolt in the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections and the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi government pledged to contest the Assembly poll together.
Agriculture Minister and former Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Himanta Biswa Sarma, CM of Assam, are incharge and co-incharge, respectively, for Jharkhand poll.
IAS Officer Ashwani Kumar New MCD Commissioner
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) appointed IAS officer Ashwani Kumar as the Commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).
Kumar is a 1992-batch AGMUT cadre IAS officer.
He succeeded Gyanesh Bharti, a 1998-batch Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre IAS officer, who was transferred to the post of Additional Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, in March.
Indian Army Launches First-of-its-kind Skin Bank for Treatment of Severe Burn Injuries
The Indian Army launched a first-of-its-kind skin bank facility that aims to revolutionise the treatment of severe burn injuries and other skin-related conditions for service personnel and their families.
As per the defence ministry, the skin bank will be staffed by a team of highly-trained medical professionals, including plastic surgeons, tissue engineers and specialised technicians.
This bank will serve as a centralised hub for the collection, processing, storage and distribution of skin grafts, providing a "critical resource" for military medical centres across the country.
DRDO, Indian Firms Showcase Made in India Weapons, Tech at Paris Defence Show
Indian defence sector firms from both public and private sectors are participating in the EUROSATORY 2024 defence show in Paris, France, which will conclude on June 21.
The exhibition is showcasing Indian products like the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher system and the LCA Tejas fighter aircraft.
The India pavilion at the show was inaugurated by Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf.
A large number of Indian companies are taking part in the show with the DRDO showcasing 11 major defence technologies and products.
Virat Kohli Reclaims India's most Valued Celebrity Title
Cricketer Virat Kohli reclaimed his position as India's most valued celebrity, boasting a brand value of USD 227.9 million. This marks a significant increase of nearly 29% from USD 176.9 million in 2022, although it still falls short of his peak value of USD 237.7 million in 2020. Kohli's resurgence surpassed actor Ranveer Singh, who slipped to the second spot with a brand value of USD 203.1 million, according to a report titled Kroll's Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2023.
World Sickle Cell Day is observed on June 19. The day aims to raise awareness about the fatal illness. It also focuses on the challenges faced by those who suffer from it.
The United Nations General Assembly declared World Sickle Cell Day in 2008 to promote awareness of sickle cell illness. As a result, on June 19, 2009, World Sickle Cell Day was commemorated for the first time.
The World Sickle Cell Awareness Day 2024 theme is 'Hope Through Progress: Advancing Sickle Cell Care Globally'.
World Sauntering Day
World Sauntering Day is observed all over the world on June 19 every year.
In 1979, W. T. Rabe established World Sauntering Day. He was the one who started this holiday in the 1970s. This day was created in response to jogging's growing popularity. W.T. Rabe, it appears, has also devised a few sauntering norms. This act must be performed in comfortable clothing, and "some people are just born with it," according to W.T. Rabe. The purpose of commemorating this day is to encourage people to take a break, enjoy life, and appreciate what they have.
Vinod Ganatra Becomes First Indian Honoured With 'Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award'
Globally acclaimed filmmaker Vinod Ganatra became the first Indian to be conferred the prestigious 'Nelson Mandela Lifetime Achievement Award' of South Africa for his contribution to films. He was honoured with the coveted award at the ongoing 7th Nelson Mandela Children's Film Festival, for his immense contributions to the world of cinema for kids.
Ganatra has bagged 36 national and international awards, including the 'Janakinath Gaur Award' from Doordarshan for his children's programme, 'Baingan Raja.' He became the only Indian filmmaker to receive the 'Liv Ullmann Peace Prize', in Chicago, for his Gujarati film, 'Harun-Arun'.
Centre Extends the Digital Health Incentive Scheme
The central government gave a year-long extension to the Digital Health Incentive Scheme (DHIS) meant for digitising patients' health records and linking them with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Health Account (ABHA ID). The scheme, which was launched on January 1, 2023, will now remain in effect till June 30, 2025. The Centre also sought details from states and union territories on the utilisation of funds received through the scheme.
PM Modi Inaugurates New Campus of Nalanda University
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the new campus of Nalanda University, an international University, close to the site of the ancient ruins of Nalanda in Rajgir, Bihar.
The Nalanda University was established by the Parliament of India through the Nalanda University Act, in 2010. The Act formed the basis for implementing the decisions arrived at the 2nd East Asia Summit (EAS) (Philippines, 2007) for establishment of NU as "international institution for pursuit of intellectual, philosophical, historical and spiritual studies" and at the 4th East Asia Summit (Thailand, 2009).
Five Indian Schools on Shortlist for World's Best School Prizes 2024
Five inspirational Indian schools were named in the top 10 shortlists across different categories for the annual World's Best School Prizes, organised in the UK to celebrate schools worldwide for their enormous contribution to society's progress.
Two schools from Madhya Pradesh and one each from Delhi, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu were unveiled as being in the running across different categories for a share in the USD 50,000 prize fund. The five World's Best School Prizes – for Community Collaboration, Environmental Action, Innovation, Overcoming Adversity, and Supporting Healthy Lives – were founded by UK-headquartered T4 Education in the wake of COVID to give a platform to schools that are changing lives in their classrooms and beyond.
The five schools are: Government CM RISE Model Higher Secondary School, Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, Ryan International School, Vasant Kunj, Delhi, Government Higher Secondary School Vinoba Ambedkar Nagar, Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, Kalvi International Public School, Madurai, Tamil Nadu and Mumbai Public School L K Waghji International (IGCSE), Maharashtra.
Delhi Rated Best Student City in India in QS Best Student Cities 2025
A total of four Indian cities, Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai, found a spot in this year's edition of the Quacquarelli Symonds Best Cities Rankings. Delhi climbed 21 places and secured the 111th spot and was named the second most affordable city for students. Bengaluru made a significant leap of 17 places to 130th spot and was the seventh most affordable city for students.
However, none of the Indian cities ranked made it to the top 100 for Student Mix, as the internationalisation of universities is still in its early stages. Similarly, they do not make the top 100 for Desirability, as a relatively low number of international students currently select India as a study destination.
Globally, London retained its spot for the world's best student city for the sixth consecutive edition, followed by Tokyo in second and Seoul in third. Munich climbed to fourth while Melbourne dropped to fifth. Sydney, Paris , Zurich, Berlin and Montreal followed at sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth spots respectively. China (Mainland) has the highest number of ranked cities, followed by Taiwan with five, and India and Indonesia with four each.
Delhi Airport Launches India's First Self-service Mechanism for Check-in Luggage
Delhi International Airport Ltd (DIAL) launched a new self-service mechanism aimed at significantly reducing the time passengers spend during the check-in process. This innovative solution allows travellers to swiftly drop off their luggage, obtain baggage tags, and print boarding passes, all within a mere 30 seconds, down from the conventional one-minute process.
DIAL revealed that this initiative made it the first airport in India and the second globally, after Toronto, to implement the advanced technology. Currently available with Air India, Air India Express, and IndiGo, the service aims to streamline the check-in process.
The Supreme Court will organise a special Lok Adalat from July 29 to August 3 to facilitate amicable settlement of suitable pending cases.
The special Lok Adalat will be organised in the 75th year of the establishment of the apex court, which came into existence on January 26, 1950, with the coming into force of the Constitution.
The apex court said that Lok Adalats are an integral component of judicial system in the country, enhancing alternative dispute resolution as a means of expediting and fostering amicable settlements.
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