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 busines
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 T
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 L
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 ex
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
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 for
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 goin
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, humi
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 Jun
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 kicke