Category: Life & Style

NPCI International Payments Ltd. and Network International have formed a partnership to facilitate UPI payments in the United Arab Emirates using QR codes at the network’s point-of-sale (POS) terminals. Through this programme, all transactions made by Indian tourists and non-resident Indians (NRIs) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be safe and easy.

More than sixty thousand businesses in industries like grocery stores, transportation, hotels, and retail use Network International’s 200,000 point-of-sale terminals. With time, UPI acceptance will spread to many different types of businesses, including restaurants, shops, and even popular tourist spots like the Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Mall. Through this collaboration, we will be able to offer a secure QR-based solution for international money transfers.

Now, UPI can be used at the network’s point-of-sale terminals in the UAE by Indian visitors and non-resident Indians (NRIs) with Indian bank accounts. Promoting digital commerce and further developing economic connections between India and the UAE, this achievement signifies a substantial step towards improving the convenience and security of transactions for Indian visitors in the UAE.

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) launched a checklist of India’s fauna, identifying 1,04,561 species, on the 109th foundation day of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).

Bhupender Yadav, India’s minister of environment, announced that India has become the first nation to reach this landmark. There are 121 checklists totaling all taxa from 36 different phyla available on the Fauna of India checklist page.

All species, including those that are endemic, endangered, or on a schedule, are included in this list. Out of India’s 455 mammal species, 59 call Telangana home; five of those are endemic. There are 439 bird species in the state, with 11 of those being endemic. Birds play an important part in ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling and pest control, in addition to pollinating and dispersing seeds. They also hunt animals and are predators.

Among India’s 778 reptile species, 426 are considered endemic, according to the ZSI. There are 66 species of reptiles in Telangana, with four of them being unique to the state. Out of all the reptile species, one is listed as endangered, three as vulnerable, and six as near-threatened.

On Tuesday, the joint secretary of the Indian Ministry of Mines, Veena Kumari Dermal, announced at an industry event that India is negotiating government-to-government agreements with Latin American and African countries to acquire strategic mineral blocks. Given the current state of the global supply chain, the initiative’s stated goal is to increase India’s strategic reserves. Dermal emphasised the ongoing discussions with Australia regarding similar mineral resources.

Dermal, the joint secretary of the Ministry of Mines, announced that India is in deep talks with several resource-rich Latin American and African nations to buy blocks either through direct government arrangements or on a priority basis.

Initiatives like the founding of Khanij Bidesh India Ltd. (KABIL) in Argentina, which aims to start exploratory activities, support the efforts. A $24 million lithium exploration transaction encompassing five blocks in Argentina was finalised earlier this year by KABIL, indicating that India is taking a proactive approach to securing vital resources.

The secretary of mines for India, V.L. Kantha Rao, highlighted the country’s mining strategy as a whole, with a focus on copper, cobalt, and lithium. Rao brought attention to India’s exploratory efforts in Africa while also looking for lithium extraction potential in Australia.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murty sought blessings at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in London in the lead-up to the UK elections. As a devoted Hindu, Sunak was honest about his faith and how it helped him cope with difficult times. He stressed the significance of Dharma, the Hindu notion of responsibility, in directing his strategy for doing public service.

“In my life, Dharma guides me,” Sunak said, recalling the principles taught to him by his parents. He casually brought up his professional choices while joking with devotees, drawing a contrast to the usual expectations within the Hindu community.

Before Sunak visited the temple, he had criticised a racial slur during his campaign. Sunak is in for a tough election, as surveys show that his Conservative party is well behind Labour. This didn’t dampen his optimism, though; he continued to communicate with devotees about cricket and communal expectations.

In his remarks to the crowd, Sunak took great delight in being sworn in on the sacred text of the Bhagavad Gita and emphasised the significance of faith in directing both private and public choices.

Saudi Arabia has reached the midpoint of its Vision 2030 journey, announced Faisal Al Ibrahim, the Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning, during the New Champions Dalian 2024 meeting in China. He emphasised the non-oil industries’ strong growth, which currently accounts for 51% of the actual GDP of the nation.

Saudi Arabia’s economy has grown at a noteworthy rate of 8.7% in 2022 with the implementation of Vision 2030, with non-oil activity rising by 5.6%. The scale of the non-oil economy now exceeds that of the oil sector.

Vision 2030, which was introduced in 2016, seeks to wean Saudi Arabia’s economy off of its reliance on oil. It is centred around three key pillars: an ambitious country, a successful economy, and a lively society. Al Ibrahim, who marked the beginning of a new economic age for Saudi Arabia, looked back on the accomplishments and highlighted important turning points as well as initiatives to diversify the economy and build human capital.

The minister also spoke on the nation’s role in addressing climate change and energy security, highlighting its leadership in developing the cleanest hydrocarbon energy and its innovative work in renewable energy, such as green hydrogen, solar, and wind power.

NASA has released a composite image showcasing impressive high-atmosphere lightning strikes, known as gigantic jets, occurring over the Himalayan mountains around the Bhutan-China border.

Photographer Li Xuanhua captured a remarkable and unusual natural occurrence in the form of four jets shooting into space. NASA clarified that these jets are a specific form of lightning discharge that takes place between thunderstorms and the Earth’s ionosphere, different from typical cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-ground lightning.

Gigantic jets can ascend to 80 kilometres into the ionosphere with a force that is 50 times greater than that of a typical lightning strike. These entities have only been detected in the 21st century. NASA frequently provides updates on cosmic events, including the latest dissemination of information about these luminous jets observed in the skies above China and Bhutan.

These jets have a substantial influence on technology that is based in space. The energy transmission they enable could have an impact on satellites, communication systems, and radar operations. Scientists are currently studying this phenomenon in great detail.

Scientists are captivated by many upper-atmosphere phenomena, such as Red Sprites, blue jets, and elves, which are classified as Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), in addition to gigantic jets.

Indian cricketer Virat Kohli’s popularity extends beyond India, as evidenced by a lifesize statue of him unveiled at Times Square, New York. This tribute highlights Kohli’s influence on the cricket globe in the last ten years and his significant contribution to India’s lineup for the T20 World Cup in 2024.

The statue showcases Kohli’s worldwide reach and is part of a commercial effort by Duroflex, a mattress company, for which Kohli serves as a brand ambassador. “Just Unveiled: A larger-than-life statue of Virat Kohli at the iconic Times Square,” Duroflex said on social media. “We are going global and creating history with this King’s Duty!” With resounding support, fans dubbed Kohli the “GOAT.”

Amidst India’s ongoing Super 8 match against Australia in St. Lucia, Kohli is maintaining his impressive form. The game started on schedule despite rain-related worries. Australia won the toss and chose to bowl first. They have not played each other since Australia defeated India in the ODI World Cup Final. After this World Cup, there is a lot of speculation that current captain Rohit Sharma and captain Virat Kohli may decide to retire from international T20 cricket, which might spell the end of an era for Indian cricket.

Dubai will invest 30 billion dirhams ($8.2 billion) to enhance its rainwater drainage system after experiencing the heaviest downpours in the UAE in 75 years last April. The heavy rainfall caused infrastructure damage and forced Dubai International Airport to curtail capacity, disrupting the Gulf’s hub for business and tourism. 

Concerns have been raised regarding Dubai’s capacity to withstand catastrophic weather in the future after four people died as a result of the flooding.

Countries are looking for innovative solutions as climate change is expected to raise temperatures, humidity, and flood threats in the Gulf. The project, “Tasreef,” is scheduled to be finished by 2033. According to Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the ruler of Dubai, it will encompass every part of the emirate, guaranteeing preparedness for upcoming climate difficulties and satisfying needs for the next century.

The infrastructure will increase the rainfall drainage system’s capacity by 700%, allowing it to manage more than 20 million cubic metres of water every day, according to Dubai’s media office. 

This project is expected to be among the biggest in the area for gathering rainwater. With 260 million passengers expected per year, Al Maktoum International Airport City, five times the size of Dubai International Airport, is undergoing drainage work that started in 2019.

Kozhikode, located in north Kerala, has been officially declared the inaugural UNESCO ‘City of Literature’ in India. Kozhikode became a UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) member in the ‘Literature’ category in October 2023.

This accomplishment was proclaimed by State Local Self Government Department Minister M B Rajesh, who emphasised the city’s humanity, harmony, rich cultural legacy, and freedom of speech. The Kozhikode City Corporation, which outperformed culturally wealthy cities like Kolkata, gained this recognition for its efficient operations.

The state government declared June 23 to be “City of Literature” Day in Kozhikode, where special awards in six categories would be given to notable writers such as S K Pottakkad and Vaikom Muhammad Basheer. P A Mohammed Riyas, Minister of Tourism, introduced the’ City of Literature’ logo.

Kozhikode, formerly known as Calicut and the city of Zamorins, was a port of entry for Europeans, Persians, Arabs, and Chinese immigrants. It is known for being the birthplace of the liberation movement, the centre of book festivals, home to more than 500 libraries, and the residence of renowned author M T Vasudevan Nair.

Among the 55 new cities to join the UCCN are Kozhikode and Gwalior in the ‘Music’ category. 350 cities in seven creative industries are currently part of the UCCN.

CWISE J124909+362116.0 (J1249+36), an exceptionally uncommon and ancient star, has been found by scientists. It is among the oldest stars in the Milky Way galaxy. This hypervelocity star is expected to be ejected into intergalactic space at a speed of 600 km/sec. While searching through telescope data for signs regarding the existence of the mysterious Planet Nine, scientists discovered the star, an L subdwarf. The discovery was revealed at the American Astronomical Society’s 244th meeting.

The remarkable speed of J1249+36 can be explained in three ways. Initially, it could have been kicked out of a binary system containing a white dwarf star. Ultra-dense white dwarfs may be unstable if they have a binary companion and shine due to leftover heat rather than fusion.

Second, a many-body interaction inside the Milky Way may cause the star’s velocity, especially in crowded places like globular clusters, which are home to millions of stars. Third, J1249+36 may originate from one of the several satellite dwarf galaxies that orbit the Milky Way instead of the Milky Way itself. An extragalactic origin for hypervelocity stars was found trustworthy in a 2017 research investigating their origins, and scientists think this might also account for the speed of J1249+36.