Ukraine Parliament Votes in Favour of Joining International Criminal Court
Ukraine's parliament voted to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), as Kyiv seeks to bring Russia to justice over war crimes it is alleged to have committed throughout its invasion.
The ICC prosecutes grave offences like genocide and crimes against humanity and has the power to issue arrest warrants that its 124 members are obliged to execute.
Ukraine signed the Rome Statute that founded the court in 2000 but had not ratified it, as some political and military figures expressed fears Ukrainian soldiers could face prosecution.
Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, called the move "historic" after parliament adopted the ratification of the statute.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organisation and international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute individuals for the international crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. The ICC is distinct from the International Court of Justice, an organ of the United Nations that hears disputes between states.
Established in 2002 pursuant to the multilateral Rome Statute, the ICC is considered by its proponents to be a major step toward justice, and an innovation in international law and human rights.
Typhoon Lan Makes Landfall in Japan, Thousands Urged to Seek Safety
Nearly 900 flights in Japan were cancelled and 240,000 people were ordered to move to safety as a slow-moving typhoon crossed Japan's main island of Honshu not far from the ancient capital of Kyoto, cutting off power to tens of thousands of homes.
Typhoon Lan, approached from the Pacific Ocean, and made landfall at the southern tip of Wakayama prefecture, some 400 km (250 miles) southwest of Tokyo, bringing heavy rain and powerful winds across a wide swathe of central and western Japan as it moved north.
Authorities issued flood and landslide warnings as rivers rose to the top of their banks, with parts of some bridges washed away. Tornadoes formed in several areas but did not cause major damage.
Airtel Payments Bank Enhances Security with AI-Powered Face Match
Airtel Payments Bank introduced a new security feature called Face Match, leveraging AI to enhance account protection. This advanced tool uses machine learning algorithms to detect potential threats and prompts facial recognition verification when needed.
Face Match analyses a range of factors including user behavior, transaction patterns, location data, historical information, and device signals. If these elements indicate a potential threat, the system activates Face Match, requiring users to verify their identity via a selfie. This selfie is compared to the original photo taken during account onboarding using facial recognition technology and liveliness checks.
Upon activation, users receive a notification via the Airtel Thanks app to complete the verification process. A successful match allows the transaction to proceed, while an unsuccessful match requires a visit to a nearby banking point for biometric verification.
IndusInd Bank Gets RBI Nod for Undertaking Mutual Funds Business Via New Subsidiary
IndusInd Bank said that the Reserve Bank of India accorded approval to the lender to set up unit to undertake asset management business of mutual fund.
In a regulatory filing, the lender said that a wholly owned subsidiary will undertake asset management business of Mutual Fund along with infusing equity capital in the said asset management subsidiary.
The new asset management company (AMC) will handle mutual fund operations and benefit from an equity infusion by the bank. Previously, IndusInd Bank distributed mutual fund products but without significant scale.
Zomato Acquires Paytm's Entertainment Ticketing Business
Zomato approved the acquisition of Paytm's entertainment and ticketing business for Rs. 2,048 crore in a cash deal. This move marks Zomato's expansion into the broader lifestyle services sector, including dining, movies, sports ticketing, live performances, shopping, and staycations. Meanwhile, Paytm aims to refocus on its core financial services.
The acquisition is set to enhance Zomato's position in the lifestyle services market. With the introduction of the new app 'District,' Zomato plans to consolidate various services under one platform. The company's past performance and lack of significant competition in the 'going-out' segment suggest strong potential for growth.
Germany Captain Ilkay Gundogan Announces International Retirement from Football
Ilkay Gundogan, the captain of the German national football team, officially announced his retirement from international football. This decision came on the heels of Germany's performance at Euro 2024, where Gundogan led his country to the quarter-finals before falling to the eventual champions, Spain, in extra time.
Gundogan's retirement marked the end of an era for German football. His leadership and midfield prowess were crucial in Germany's recent resurgence, particularly during Euro 2024. The national team will now face the challenge of filling the void left by their captain as they look ahead to the 2026 World Cup.
Satya Prakash Sangwan Appointed as Chef de Mission for Paris Paralympics 2024
The vice-president of the Paris Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), Satya Prakash Sangwan, was named as the chef de mission of the Indian contingent for the upcoming Paris Paralympics 2024.
Satya Prakash Sangwan brings a wealth of experience to this crucial role. He has been an integral part of the Paralympic movement for over a decade, demonstrating unwavering dedication and commitment to the cause of para-sports in India. His extensive experience has made him a respected figure within the para-sports community.
The position of Chef de Mission is a complex and demanding role that requires a unique set of skills and attributes. As the CDM, Sangwan will be responsible for:
Leadership: Guiding and inspiring the entire Indian contingent throughout the Paralympic Games.
Mentorship: Providing support and advice to athletes, coaches, and support staff.
Strategic Planning: Overseeing the logistical and operational aspects of India's participation in the Games.
Liaison: Acting as the primary point of contact between the Indian contingent and the Paralympic Games organisers.
Saanvi and Anvi Star at National Swim Meet
With their multi-medal haul, Deshwal twins Saanvi and Anvi powered Maharashtra to the title in the Girls' Group II category at the 40th Sub-Junior & 50th Junior National Aquatic Championships in Bhubaneswar.
Swimmers from Karnataka – the state that won the overall championship title with 799 points – and Maharashtra dominated the competition organised by the Swimming Federation of India, which saw more than 1,000 athletes participating.
Paris Olympian Dhinidhi Desinghu, the youngest athlete in India's contingent, ended the tournament with five gold medals, more than any other swimmer. She was adjudged the best swimmer in Girls Group II.
The Deshwal twins bagged four gold and four silver medals between them, underlining their dominance in the pool.
Amardeep Singh Bhatia Appointed as DPIIT Secretary
Amardeep Singh Bhatia, a 1993-batch IAS officer from the Nagaland cadre, officially assumed the role of Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). He succeeded Rajesh Kumar Singh, who was appointed as Officer on Special Duty in the Department of Defence. Bhatia's extensive experience includes key roles in both central and state governments, particularly in the Ministries of Corporate Affairs and Health & Family Welfare.
Before his current role, Bhatia served as Additional Secretary in the Department of Commerce, where he played a significant part in shaping trade policies and negotiating free trade agreements.
Two-Day India-EU Regional Conference
The European Union (EU) and the external affairs ministry organised a regional conference in New Delhi and discuss emerging threats in online radicalisation and to jointly counter the exploitation of online spaces by terrorists.
The Track 1.5 conference was held on August 21-22 in collaboration with organising partner Global Counter-Terrorism Council (GCTC), an international think tank, which gathered experts, policymakers, academia and law enforcement officials from India, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Europe.
The conference aims to enhance counter-terror dialogues and partnerships in the region, in line with the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy that envisages a deeper and stronger engagement with partners which share common goals and face common challenges.
The EU and India have strongly condemned all forms of terrorism and emphasised the need for strengthening international cooperation in dealing with such challenges.
Ram Madhav, G. Kishan Reddy Appointed as BJP In-charge for Assembly Polls in J-K
RSS functionary and former BJP general secretary Ram Madhav was appointed the party in-charge for the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir along with Union Minister G Kishan Reddy.
Madhav's return to the organisation is closely linked to the BJP's aspirations in J&K.
G. Kishan Reddy, the Secunderabad MP and the current minister of coal and mines, will also help Ram Madhav in planning and preparation of the elections, the first to be held in the Union Territories since 2014 and also the first after the 2019 abrogation of Article 370, which ended the erstwhile state's special status.
South Korea and the United States kicked off annual summertime military exercises, seeking to boost their joint readiness to fend off North Korea's weapons and cyber threats.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, set to end on August 29, came as North Korea races to advance its nuclear and missile programmes and tries to launch reconnaissance satellites. The drills reflect "realistic threats" across all domains, including the North's missile threats but also GPS jamming, cyberattacks and other lessons learned from recent incidents.
In a First, Two Women Officers of Indian Coast Guard Participate in Foreign Engagement
In a first, two women officers of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) were on board a patrol vessel on an overseas deployment. ICG offshore patrol vessel Sujay made a port call at Jakarta, Indonesia as part of its ongoing overseas deployment to East Asia.
The Indian Coast Guard said that the crew of Sujay engaged in professional interactions focusing on marine pollution response, maritime search and rescue, and maritime law enforcement.
The vessel is on a two-day visit to Indonesia.
EndureAir Joins Hands with 5 Defence PSUs to Establish Advanced Testing Facilities under DIT Scheme
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) maker EndureAir collaborated with five defence PSUs for establishing advanced testing facilities under the DIT Scheme of the Ministry of Defence. The ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up these testing facilities within the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC) to drive technological advancements and provide essential infrastructure to test and refine niche defence technologies, particularly in unmanned aerial systems.
Launched by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh with an outlay of Rs. 400 crore in May 2020, the Defence Testing Infrastructure (DTI) Scheme is aimed at setting up testing facilities in collaboration with private industry and central or state government, promoting indigenous defence production, reducing military equipment imports and enhancing self-reliance.
EndureAir also said that it is the sole private firm involved alongside the five Defence PSUs -- Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Bharat Electronics Ltd, Gliders India Ltd, Yantra India Ltd, and BEML.
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das Ranked as Top Central Banker for 2nd Straight Year
RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das was ranked as the top central banker globally for the second year in a row, receiving an "A+" rating in the 2024 Global Finance Central Banker Report Cards.
This recognition highlights Governor Das's performance in key areas such as inflation control, economic growth, currency stability, and interest rate management.
The annual report, published by Global Finance magazine since 1994, evaluates central bank governors from 101 countries and regions, including the European Union and several regional central banks.
The rankings are determined based on a grading scale from A to F, assessing performance in key areas such as inflation control, economic growth goals, currency stability, and interest rate management. An 'A' represents outstanding performance, while an 'F' denotes complete failure.
International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief
The General Assembly, in its resolution A/RES/73/296, designated August 22 as the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief recognising the importance of providing victims of acts of violence based on religion or belief and members of their families with appropriate support and assistance in accordance with applicable law. Freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right that intersects with several other crucial freedoms. These rights are not only important individually but also work together to create a framework for a just and tolerant society.
The CEAT Cricket Rating Awards was held in Mumbai. The award function saw many star Indian cricketers win big with Rohit Sharma bagging the Men's International Cricketer of the Year whereas Virat Kohli won the ODI Batter of the Year award. Moreover, Rahul Dravid, who ended his Team India coaching run post Rohit & Co.'s T20 World Cup win in June, was awarded with the Lifetime Achievement Award, in Mumbai.
Among others, the likes of Mohammed Shami, Shreyas Iyer, Yashasvi Jaiswal, R. Ashwin, women's team captain Harmanpreet Kaur, Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma also returned with an award each.
BCCI Secretary Jay Shah won an award for excellence in sports administration.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh Presents Handicrafts Exports Awards
The Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH) organised its 24th Handicrafts Export Awards Function at the Convention Hall, The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi. Union Minister of Textiles Giriraj Singh highlighted the handicrafts sector's pivotal role in the growth of Indian economy.
Giriraj Singh, Union Minister of Textiles, Govt. of India, was the Chief Guest at the function and presented the awards.
A total of 123 awards were conferred upon 62 winners of the year 2019-20 and to 61 winners of the year 2020-21, along with a prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. The Awards, instituted in 1989, are presented across four broad categories: the Top Export Award, Platinum Performer Certificate, Product Group-wise Awards, Woman Entrepreneur Award, Regional Awards and the together totalling to 34 Trophies, 6 Platinum Performer Certificates, 4 Hat-trick Trophy, 57 Merit Certificates, 12 Regional Award, 9 Women Entrepreneur Awards and 1 Lifetime Achievement Award."
Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education (KITE) completed the development of a new free and open-source software (FOSS)-based operating system (OS) suite KITE GNU Linux 22.04 that can be used in three lakh computers available in public schools in the State.
The KITE GNU Linux 22.04 can be used as a complete computing platform not only for ICT learning in schools but also by students and teachers, and on computers used in homes, government offices, DTP centres, printing presses, software development companies, engineering colleges, and so on. The new version of the OS has been developed using the Wayland system instead of the xorg window mechanism currently used in operating systems in schools.
Amit Shah Releases Tarun Chugh's Book 'Modi's Governance Triumph: Reshaping India's Path to Prosperity'
Union Home Minister Amit Shah released a book written by BJP leader Tarun Chugh which, the author said, captures the "transformative" changes brought by the Modi government in a host of sectors and regions, including in the poll-bound Jammu and Kashmir.
Chugh said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought the common citizens at the centre of his every scheme and policy, heralding changes which empowered the most vulnerable and poor sections of the society, and strengthened the country as well.
The book 'Modi's Governance Triumph: Reshaping India's Path to Prosperity' was "inspired" by the Prime Minister's decades-long public life which was always "dedicated" to the country, Chugh said.
M. Suresh Appointed as Interim Chairman of Airports Authority of India
M. Suresh, Member, Air Navigation Services, Airports Authority of India (AAI) was entrusted with additional charge as Chairman of AAI. This is subsequent to relieving Sanjeev Kumar of his duties as AAI Chairman.
Hailing from Tenkasi district in Tamil Nadu, Suresh will hold the post for three months or until a regular incumbent joins or until further orders.
Sri Lanka Announces Visa-free Access from 35 Countries
The Sri Lankan government announced visa-free access to citizens from 35 countries, including India, the UK and the US to the island nation for six months.
The Cabinet made the decision which will be in effect from October 1, 2024, said Adviser to the Ministry of Tourism, Harin Fernando.
Countries on the list include India, the UK, China, the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Australia, Denmark, Poland, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nepal, Indonesia, Russia, and Thailand.
Other countries include Malaysia, Japan, France, Canada, the Czech Republic, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Israel, Belarus, Iran, Sweden, South Korea, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and New Zealand.
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