A day after Chairman of the Surat Diamond Bourse (SDB), Vallabhbhai Patel (Lakhani) resigned, the core committee nominated Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat Govind Dholakiya as the new chairman of the trade centre.

On Thursday, the SDB core committee members (Lalji Patel, Mathur Savani, Diyalbhai Vaghani, Arvind Dhanera, Sevanti Shah, Nagjibhai Sakariya, Keshubhai Goti) met to discuss further steps after Lakhani’s resignation. The members discussed and zeroed in to different diamond merchants and finally decided on Dholakiya, owner of SRK Diamonds and a recently-appointed Rajya Sabha MP. He is also a member of the SDB advisory committee. When proposed the idea, Dholakiya accepted the offer to helm the chairman’s post.

Astronomers have identified two ancient streams of stars - named after the Hindu deities Shakti and Shiva - that appear to be among the Milky Way's earliest building blocks, offering new insight into how our galaxy came together long ago.

These structures, found using observations from the European Space Agency's Gaia space telescope, may be relics of two distinct galaxies that merged roughly 12 billion years ago with the Milky Way's primordial pieces during the galaxy's infancy, the scientists said.

Shakti and Shiva are comprised of stars with similar chemical compositions that formed 12-13 billion years ago, the researchers said. Each of the structures has a mass about 10 million times greater than our sun.

Vinay has secured victory at the Para Powerlifting World Cup held in Egypt. The 18-year-old athlete showcased his prowess by claiming the gold medal in the 59kg youth category, lifting an impressive 120kg weight on the third day of the competition.

Hailing from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, Vinay has etched his name in history as the first para powerlifter from the state to achieve such a feat on the international stage, a release said. His dedication and talent have not only brought glory to his hometown and the country.

Maharashtra’s Naheed Divecha has won two gold medals in the Indian Masters National Badminton Championship 2024 in Panchkula. Divecha, a member of the Bombay Gymkhana and associated with Shuttle Craze Academy clinched the Women’s 50 singles title by defeating Haryana’s Sunita Singh Panwar in straight sets yesterday.

Later, the duo of Naheed Divecha and Kiran Mokade grabbed the Mixed Doubles 50 title with an impressive win over the top-seeded Karnataka pair of Prabagaran Subbaiyan and Jayashree Raghu in straight sets.

Mariam Mammen Mathew, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Manorama Online, has been appointed as the chairperson of the Digital News Publishers’ Association (DNPA) for a two-year term starting from April 1, 2024.

She will be succeeding Tanmay Maheshwari, the Managing Director (MD) of Amar Ujala. Mathew served as the vice-chairperson during Maheshwari’s chairmanship.

Expressing her gratitude, Mariam Mammen Mathew stated, “I am honoured to take on the role as chairperson of DNPA and contribute to the country’s digital media landscape. My main goal will be to amplify the scale, influence, and durability of digital news media entities. An integral part of this vision is embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to augment our capabilities and drive transformative change. Additionally, I am committed to nurturing a culture of Diversity, Inclusion and Equity within our organisation, which will play a pivotal role in reshaping the media landscape.”

Star paddler G. Sathiyan has become the first-ever Indian to win a men's singles trophy at a WTT Feeder Series event in Beirut, Lebanon. He defeated compatriot Manav Thakkar 3-1 (6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4) on the final day of WTT Feeder Beirut 2024 on Thursday night.

Star paddler G. Sathiyan has become the first-ever Indian to win a men's singles trophy at a WTT Feeder Series event in Beirut, Lebanon.

He defeated compatriot Manav Thakkar 3-1 (6-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-4) on the final day of WTT Feeder Beirut 2024 on Thursday night.

Mahindra & Mahindra on Thursday said it has tied up with a unit of Adani Total Gas to establish electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the country.

The auto major and Adani Total Energies E-Mobility Ltd (ATEL) have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in this regard.

The MoU sets a roadmap for the creation of an expansive EV charging infrastructure across the country, it added.

Moreover, the partnership will also entail rolling out e-mobility solutions to provide seamless access to the charging network for the customers covering discovery, availability, navigation, and transactions, the Mumbai-based automaker said.

Elon Musk's brain chip startup Neuralink on Wednesday live-streamed its first patient playing an online chess game using the company's chip implant to move the mouse.

Neuralink is testing its brain implant technology for "people with paralysis to control external devices with their thoughts".

Reposting the video, Musk said, "Livestream of @Neuralink demonstrating “Telepathy” – controlling a computer and playing video games just by thinking."

Doctors in Boston announced Thursday they have transplanted a genetically modified pig kidney into a 62-year-old patient.

Massachusetts General Hospital said it’s the first time a pig kidney has been transplanted into a living person. Previously, pig kidneys have been temporarily transplanted into brain-dead donors. Also, two men received heart transplants from pigs, although both died within months.

The transplant was done earlier this month. The patient, Mr. Richard ‘Rick’ Slayman of Weymouth, Massachusetts, is recovering well and is expected to be discharged soon, doctors said Thursday.

The UN General Assembly has adopted a landmark resolution on AI, aiming to promote the safe and ethical development of AI technologies worldwide.

The resolution, co-sponsored by over 120 countries, was adopted unanimously by all 193 UN member states on 21 March. This marks the first time the UN has established global standards and guidelines for AI.

The eight-page resolution calls for the development of “safe, secure, and trustworthy” AI systems that respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. It urges member states and stakeholders to refrain from deploying AI inconsistent with international human rights laws.