Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a new agreement which includes a promise of mutual aid if one of their countries is attacked, amidst increasing tensions for both with the west.
There is no clarity on what kind of aid is referred to in the deal, which has only been described as a 'comprehensive strategic partnership'.
The deal was inked in Putin's first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years. North Korea has allegedly been providing arms to Moscow in its war against Ukraine, which has led several western countries to apply sanctions against the two countries. Russia has been offering North Korea with knowledge transfers and economic aid to develop its nuclear and missile weapons program.
The two countries also signed deals on cooperation in the fields of healthcare, medical education, and science.
The Iberian Lynx is Back from the Brink of Extinction
Things are looking up for the Iberian lynx. Just over two decades ago, the pointy-eared wild cat was on the brink of extinction, but as now (June 2024) the International Union for Conservation of Nature says it's no longer an endangered species.
Successful conservation efforts mean that the animal, native to Spain and Portugal, is now barely a vulnerable species, according to the latest version of the IUCN Red List, released in 2024.
In 2001, there were only 62 mature Iberian lynx — medium-sized, mottled brown cats with characteristic pointed ears and a pair of beard-like tufts of facial hair — on the Iberian Peninsula.
More than two decades later, in 2022, nature reserves in southern Spain and Portugal contained 648 adult specimens. The latest census, from last year (2023), shows that there are more than 2,000 adults and juveniles.
Namdev Finvest Partners with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
Namdev Finvest, a Jaipur based NBFC, entered into strategic alliance with Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, a leading insurance platform, to offer comprehensive financial solutions, including insurance and NBFC services, to its customers.
The strategic alliance leverages Namdev's customer network and geographic presence, backed by Bajaj General Insurance's expertise in insurance products. As a result, the integrated products and services are expected to be rolled out in phases, with the initial offerings being available in key markets.
Paytm Appoints Rajeev Agarwal as Non-Executive Independent Director
Paytm named Rajeev Krishnamuralilal Agarwal, former whole-time director of SEBI, as its non-executive independent director for a five-year term. This change came alongside the resignation of Neeraj Arora, who cited pre-occupation and personal commitments.
Neeraj Arora, known for his pivotal role in negotiating WhatsApp's merger with Facebook, resigned as Paytm's non-executive independent director on June 17, 2024. This marked his second departure from the company's board.
Rajeev Agarwal brings extensive expertise to Paytm's board, with over four decades of experience in securities markets and regulatory affairs. His tenure at SEBI included spearheading significant market policy reforms, such as the revival of the Mutual Fund industry in 2012 and the merger of the Forward Markets Commission with SEBI in 2015.
Axis Bank Acquires Additional Stake in Max Life Insurance Subsidiary
Axis Bank is buying additional stake in Max Life Insurance - a subsidiary of Max Financial - at a cost of Rs. 336 crore.
In continuation of the existing investment, this acquisition would strengthen the bank's position in the life insurance business.
Previously, Axis Bank, along with its subsidiaries Axis Securities and Axis Capital, held a 19.02% stake in the life insurance company.
Dhruva Space's maiden satellite mission comprising Thybolt-1 and Thybolt-2 satellites deorbited after a combined 15,000 orbits. The mission was launched in November 2022 on the Hyderabad-based space start up's 10th anniversary, onboard ISRO PSLV-C54.
The payload used on the Thybolt satellites is a novel Store-and-Forward payload receiving messages from sensor nodes or remote ground stations. It also stores the aforementioned messages on-board flash memory for downlinking them at a network connected ground station. The mission engaged many ham radio operators across India as well.
Indian National Ultimate Frisbee Team Wins Silver at 2024 Asia Oceanic Championship in Japan
The Indian National Ultimate Frisbee team put up a valiant effort in the final of the Asia Oceanic Beach Ultimate Championships (AOBUC) 2024, and finished as runners-up after a hard-fought match against the Philippines with a final score of 9-12. This marked a historic milestone for Indian Ultimate Frisbee as the national team reached the final for the first time, demonstrating significant growth and potential on the international stage. The tournament featured 16 teams from across Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.
The Indian team's path to the final was highlighted by a remarkable victory over Japan in the semi-finals.
Suryakumar Yadav Retains His Spot as Top-ranked Batter in T20s
Australia's Marcus Stoinis toppled Afghanistan's Mohammad Nabi as the number one all-rounder in the latest ICC T20 rankings.
Stoinis snared six wickets and also made valuable contribution with the bat to help Australia cruise to the Super Eights in the ongoing T20 World Cup.
While Stoinis climbed a spot and becsme the premier all-rounder, Nabi dropped three places with Sri Lanka skipper Wanindu Hasaranga and Bangladesh veteran Shakib Al Hasan also rising to the second and third spots, respectively.
India's Suryakumar Yadav retained his spot as the top-ranked batter in the shortest format while Phil Salt, Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan are static at second, third and fourth places, respectively.
Haryana Congress Leader Kiran Choudhry, Her Daughter Shruti Join BJP
Former Haryana Congress leader Kiran Choudhry and her daughter Shruti Choudhry joined the BJP, ahead of the assembly polls in Haryana slated to be held later this year.
Kiran Choudhry and Shruti Choudhry joined the party at an event held in the BJP office in the presence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, former Chief Minister and Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh and other party leaders.
Kiran Choudhry is the daughter-in-law of late former Haryana Chief Minister and Congress stalwart Bansi Lal. She and her daughter Shruti resigned from the primary membership of Congress after she took a dig at former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, alleging that the party's state unit was being run as a "personal fiefdom".
After 24 Years, Former CM Naveen Patnaik Takes New Role
Facing defeat for the first time since 2000, former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is all set to lead the Opposition in the Odisha Assembly after he was appointed as Leader of Opposition (LoP).
Additionally, Senior MLA Prasanna Acharya was named the deputy leader of the opposition, while former speaker Pramila Mallik would be the chief whip of the opposition in the House.
Patnaik named Pratap Keshari Deb as the deputy chief whip of the opposition in the assembly.
Newly Built Bridge Collapses Ahead of Inauguration in Bihar's Araria
A major portion of a 182-metre bridge at Sikti in Bihar's Araria district collapsed.
The bridge over Bakra River was built by private contractors at a cost of Rs. 12 crore under the PM Gramin Sadak scheme. Initially estimated to cost Rs. 7.79 crore, the construction started in April 2021 and was completed in June 2023. It was to be inaugurated soon after the construction of approach roads on either side of the bridge.
Local authorities suspected that recent digging near two pillars of the bridge to allow smooth flow of water might have weakened the pillars, causing the collapse. The bridge had a total of 16 pillars.
The UK Ministry of Defence awarded a unique contract worth approximately Rs. 50,000 crore to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), a well-known Indian state-owned aerospace and military business. This is the largest single order for helicopters ever given to an Indian business. The funds will be utilized to purchase Light Combat Helicopters (LCHs), often known as "Prachand."
This tender, which was handled through the Single Vendor Contract (SVC) method, is only going to HAL. The company is now going to make a techno-commercial bid, which will be talked over with the defense minister until it is agreed upon.
Every year, June 20 is celebrated as World Refugee Day. The day is dedicated to raise awareness about the plight of refugees worldwide and to promote their inclusion and acceptance in host communities.
The first ever World Refugee Day was celebrated on June 20, 2001 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. The day was earlier recognized as Africa Refugee Day and later in December 2000, the United Nations General Assembly officially declared it as an International Day for Refugees. World Refugee Day is an important day to reflect on the plight of refugees worldwide and to renew the commitment to finding lasting solutions to this pressing issue.
The theme of World Refugee Day 2024 is 'For a World Where Refugees Are Welcomed.'
Wildlife Filmmaker Subbiah Nallamuthu Honoured with V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award at MIFF
The renowned wildlife filmmaker Subbiah Nallamuthu was conferred with the prestigious 18th V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of non-feature and wildlife documentary filmmaking. The award was presented to him by the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, L. Murugan, at the inaugural ceremony of the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
The V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award is a prestigious honor instituted in 1990 by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in memory of the legendary filmmaker V. Shantaram. It is awarded at the Mumbai International Film Festival to filmmakers who have made significant contributions to documentary films.
The first recipient of the award was Ezra Mir in 1990.
Past recipients include renowned documentary makers like Mike Pandey, Anand Patwardhan, Naresh Bedi, and Shyam Benegal.
The award carries a citation, a trophy, and a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakh.
In a bid to have more scientific investigations across the country to achieve better conviction rates in criminal cases, the Union Cabinet approved the National Forensic Infrastructure Enhancement Scheme (NFIES).
The scheme, with a financial outlay of Rs. 2,254.43 crore during the period from 2024-25 to 2028-29, aims to establish campuses of National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU) across the country apart from setting up more central forensic science laboratories enhancing existing infrastructure of NFSU, Delhi.
The development assumes significance in the wake of the new criminal laws coming into effect from July 1, 2024.
The Cabinet decision came on a proposal from MHA. Financial outlay of the central sector scheme will be provisioned by the MHA from its own budget.
UGC Launches Two Open Online Courses on Arctic, Polar Studies
The University Grants Commission (UGC) launched two Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) on arctic, polar studies on the SWAYAM portal. These courses are Understanding the Arctic: Climate and Environmental Protection, and Polar Science, Arctic Governance, Policy, and Law.
WB Education Minister Bratya Basu Announces Centralised Admission Process for UG Courses in state Colleges
West Bengal's Education Minister Bratya Basu announced a centralised admission process for undergraduate courses in all state-run colleges.
This would negate the possibility of one student with good marks taking admission in multiple colleges at once, and then retaining his seat in the desired course and vacating the rest, Basu said, adding that because of this, a lot of seats remain empty every year.
In the centralised process, one candidate will be offered only one seat at a time, depending on his results with the scope to get a better opportunity in case there is a vacancy elsewhere.
Any student from across the country, who had passed the class 12 final examination, can apply for 25 undergraduate courses maximum through the website.
India Becomes Third-largest Domestic Airline Market Globally
India become the third largest domestic airline market globally, up from number five position a decade ago, according to analysis based on data by Official Airline Guide (OAG), the leading data platform for the global travel industry.
As per the data, India's domestic airline capacity doubled in a decade to 15.5 million in April 2024 from 7.9 million in April 2014.
India replaced Brazil, pushed to fourth place with 9.7 million, and Indonesia, relegated to fifth in the rankings with 9.2 million.
However, the top two — the US at 86.1 million and China at 67.8 million — are still far ahead in the game holding the top two positions.
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