NATIONAL NEWS

New Delhi Hosts the World Heritage Young Professionals Forum

The 2024 World Heritage Young Professionals Forum meeting commenced in New Delhi on 15 July 2024.

 It is being organised as part of the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Committee Meeting.

New Delhi will host the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting from 21 to 31 July 2024.

50 Young heritage professionals from across the world will participate in the Forum, meeting with 20 professionals from India and 30 from around the world.

The World Heritage Young Professional Forum meeting is being organised by the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Institute of Archaeology, which is part of the Archaeological Survey of India.

The theme of the World Heritage Young Professionals Forum is World Heritage in the 21st Century: Building Capacities and Exploring Opportunities for Youth.

The Forum provides a platform for young and heritage experts to discuss and share insights on the preservation of culture and heritage.

Thazhakara Becomes the First Grama Panchayat in Alappuzha

Thazhakara has become the first grama panchayat in Alappuzha and one of the first in Kerala to update and publish a comprehensive People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) with the involvement of local communities.

The updated PBR includes details on biodiversity, resource identification, discoveries, traditional knowledge, ongoing changes, and climate change impacts.

Thazhakara has submitted the 261-page PBR document to the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB).

Kerala was the first state to publish the first volume of the PBR across all local bodies.

Other grama panchayats like Maruthonkara and Kadalundi in Kozhikode and Sreenarayanapuram in Thrissur have also updated their PBRs and submitted them to KSBB.

Dynamic Document: PBRs are dynamic and require periodic updates on ecosystem details, species, landscapes, and traditional knowledge.

KSBB aims to update PBRs in 50% of local bodies in Kerala by the end of 2024.

PBR serves as a comprehensive record of biodiversity, including habitat conservation, preservation of land races, domesticated stocks, breeds of animals, micro-organisms, and associated traditional knowledge

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

India Provides $2.5 Million To The UNRWA To Help Palestinian Refugees

The government of India has released $2.5 million of the promised $5 million for the year 2024-25 to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The fund will be used to provide education, health care, and other services to Palestinian refugees.

According to the government of India, it has provided $35 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) until 2023-24.

The money is being used to provide education, health care, and other services to Palestinian refugees.

The government of India has also pledged to provide medicines to the UNRWA at the recent UNRWA Pledging Conference held in New York, the United States of America.

Palestinian refugees are those persons and their descendants who lost their homes and were exiled from Palestine during the 1948 conflict.

The United Nations set up the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in 1949 to help the Palestinian refugees.

India and South Korea to Hold 11th Round of CEPA Talks in Seoul

India and South Korea are set to hold the 11th round of talks for reviewing and upgrading their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) from July 17-19, 2024, in Seoul.

This round of negotiations will focus on enhancing bilateral economic cooperation and addressing trade imbalances.

It is to review and upgrade the CEPA, which was signed in 2009 and came into force in 2010.

BANKING

BSE as Supervisory Authority for Research Analysts and Investment Advisers

The Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recognized BSE Limited as a supervisory body for Research Analysts (RAs) and Investment Advisers (IAs) to oversee their management and administration.

This recognition is granted under Regulation 14 of the Research Analysts Regulations (RA Regulations) and Investment Advisers Regulations (IA Regulations).

BSE will operate as the Research Analysts and Investment Advisers Supervision Body (RAASB) and Investment Advisers Supervision Body (IAASB).

The recognition is valid for a period of 5 years, starting from July 25, 2024.

BSE will establish bye-laws, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and frequently asked questions (FAQs) to support and guide RAs and IAs in adopting the RAASB and IAASB frameworks.

These measures aim to ensure the management and administration of RAs and IAs are effectively overseen.

The move is intended to protect investor interests in the securities market.

It also aims to promote the development and regulate the securities market.

AWARDS & PRIZES

Prince Harry Receives Pat Tillman Honour at ESPY Awards

Prince Harry received the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards (ESPY) in Los Angeles.

He was recognized for founding the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style competition for wounded service members.

Prince Harry founded the Invictus Games in 2014.

The Games aim to inspire recovery and support rehabilitation for wounded service members through the power of sports.

APPOINTMENTS & RESIGNATIONS

President Paul Kagame Wins the Fourth Term as Rwandan President

According to the National Electoral Commission of Rwanda, President Paul Kagame has won the country’s presidential election for the fourth term by securing 99 per cent of the votes. According to the National Electoral Commission, 79 per cent of the votes had been counted.

Paul Kagame, who has ruled the country as president since 2000, won the presidential election held in 2017 with 99 per cent of the votes.

Paul Kagame has been elected for a fresh five-year term.

Paul Kagame is credited for ending the civil war in the country in which Hutu extremists killed more than 8 lakh Tutsi tribal people and moderate Hutus.

His over three-decade rule has led to an impressive growth in the country.

SPORTS

Saudi Arabia to Host Inaugural Esports Olympics in 2025

Saudi Arabia will host the first-ever Olympic Esports Games in 2025, marking a significant milestone in integrating esports with traditional Olympic sports.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of Saudi Arabia have entered into a 12-year partnership to host the Olympic Esports Games regularly.

The IOC announced the partnership with Saudi Arabia's NOC, outlining plans to host the inaugural event in the Kingdom.

The proposal will be presented at the IOC Session scheduled on the eve of the Olympic Games Paris 2024.

OBITUTARY

Veteran Horse Trainer S.K. Sunderji

Sheraz K. Sunderji, a renowned horse trainer, passed away at the age of 64.

Sunderji began his remarkable horse training career in 1985.

Over nearly four decades, he saddled more than 1000 winners.

One of his most cherished dreams was to win the prestigious Indian Derby, a goal which he achieved in 2018 with his ward Rochester.

Notable for his success in the Pune Derby, securing victories with Desert Warrior (1989), Desert Carnival (1995), Ocean And Beyond (2010), and Trouvaille (2019).