World Athletics Day 2024: The dedication and hard work of the athletics need to be celebrated. They do not give up in the face of adversity, they hold on to their love for the sport and they go till the finish line, no matter what. Their dedication and love for the sport is inspiring, and athletes all over the world should be honoured and respected for their hard work. Every year, World Athletics Day is observed to honour the athletes and reinstate the lessons of dedication and motivation in us, that we learn from sports. As we gear up to celebrate the special day for this year, here are a few things that we should keep in mind.

Bajaj Auto is gearing up for the much-anticipated launch of its CNG-powered motorcycle on June 18, 2024. Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto, confirmed the imminent rollout of the motorcycle in an exclusive interview with CNBC-TV18 on the sidelines of launching 400cc Pulsar. “The world’s first CNG-powered motorcycle is due next month. It halves the running costs compared to petrol-run bikes. It’s a fantastic innovation,” Bajaj said.

With this upcoming model, Bajaj will be aiming to cater to cost-conscious customers amidst rising fuel prices by introducing the CNG-powered motorcycle. It will be launched in phases, first in Maharashtra and later in states where CNG stations are available.

According to several media reports, the CNG-powered bike is likely to be named Bruzer 125 CNG.

Professor Sanjay Singh took over as the vice chancellor of Lucknow’s Dr Shakuntala Misra National Rehabilitation University from professor Himanshu Shekhar Jha, the acting vice chancellor on Sunday.

Before taking charge, professor Singh, who till now was serving as the vice chancellor of Baba Saheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University handed over the charge of the university to acting vice chancellor professor NMP Verma.

Professor Singh was appointed vice chancellor of Dr Shakuntala Misra university by Chancellor-governor Anandiben Patel on March 2 for a period of five years.

Officials said professor Singh demitted charge of Bhimrao Ambedkar university after securing the nod of university’s Visitor, President Droupadi Murmu.

Nepal on Friday announced the printing of a new Rs 100 currency note with a map that shows the controversial territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani, already termed as "artificial enlargement" and "untenable" by India.

"The meeting of the council of ministers chaired by Prime Minister Pushpakamal Dahal 'Prachanda' took a decision to print the new map of Nepal, which includes the Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani in the Rs 100 denomination bank notes," government spokesperson Rekha Sharma told media persons while briefing about the cabinet decision.

The Centre has set in motion the Goods & Services Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) with the appointment of retired Justice Sanjaya Kumar Mishra as its President. The setting up of the tribunal aims to help businesses resolve various disputes efficiently.

“The Appointment Committee of the Cabinet, based on the recommendation of the SCSC (Search-cum-Selection Committee), has approved appointment of Justice (Retd.) Sanjaya Kumar Mishra, Former Chief Justice, High Court of Jharkhand, to the post of President in Goods and Services Tax Appellate Tribunal, in the salary of ₹2.50 lakh per month for a period of 4 years,” an order from Department of Personal and Training (DoPT) said. The four years will be counted from the date of his assuming charge or till attaining the age of 70 years, whichever is earlier.

EU chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday announced $1 billion in aid for Lebanon during a visit to the country mired in an economic meltdown exacerbated by a migrant crisis and the threat of war with Israel.

"I can announce a financial package of $1 billion for Lebanon that would be available from this year until 2027," she said, adding that "we want to contribute to Lebanon's socio-economic stability".

The European Commission president said the aid was designed to strengthen basic services such as education and health.

Mumbai City FC stunned home-favourite Mohun Bagan Super Giant 3-1 to win its second Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 final at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday.

Jason Cummings scored for Mohun Bagan while Jorge Pereyra Diaz, Bipin Singh and Jakub Votjus secured the Championship for the Islanders, putting over 62,000 fans into deathly silence.

Mumbai City’s coach Petr Kratky had said that the team would start on an active note and his team delivered, pressing well up the pitch, and earning six corner kicks against Mohun Bagan’s one in the first half.

Shares of ICICI Bank surged over 5% on Monday, sending its market capitalisation past the `8-trillion mark and into the league of the top five companies by market value. The private lender has become the second bank to cross this milestone, after HDFC Bank. ICICI Bank’s market capitalisation reached Rs 8.14 trillion after its shares touched an all-time high of Rs 1,163 apiece, before ending the session with a gain of 4.72%.

Reliance Industries maintains its position as the most-valued Indian company, boasting a market capitalisation of Rs 19.8 trillion, while software giant Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) follows closely behind with a market cap of Rs 14 trillion. Among banks, HDFC Bank leads with a market capitalisation of Rs 11.6 trillion, while the State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender, has a market value of Rs 7.4 trillion.

The Indian Embassy here has held its first interactive session with the Indian students who suffered the most during the three-year COVID-19 period following China’s visa bans prolonging their academic periods for several years. Around 80 old and new students from more than 13 Chinese universities took part in the “welcome and interaction ceremony” held on May 4.

Indian Ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat, and Counsellor Nitinjeet Singh interacted with the students and heard their grievances and experiences during Saturday’s meeting.

The meeting also included a detailed presentation by Amit Sharma, Second Secretary (Education) on various services offered by the Embassy, Dos & Don’ts for students, the Embassy posting on X said. Until the coronavirus struck China in early 2020, over 23,000 Indian students, mostly studying medicine, in Chinese universities, constituting the second-highest number of foreign students after Pakistan.

India ranks 159th in the 2024 world Press Freedom Index published annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF). Pakistan is ranked 152 while Sri Lanka 150.

India's ranking was 161 out of 180 countries last year.

The index ranks 180 countries on the ability of journalists to work and report freely and independently.

In the Asia-Pacific region – the world’s second most difficult region for practising journalism – five countries are among the world’s ten most dangerous countries for media personnel: Myanmar (171st), China (172nd), North Korea (177th), Vietnam (174th) and Afghanistan (178th). But, unlike last year, none of the region’s countries is in the Index’s top 15.