Saudi Arabia officially joined the Miss Universe pageant with Rumy Alqahtani as the Islamic country's first-ever representative.

This is another step for Saudi Arabia, which has been shedding its conservative cloak under Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud.

Rumy Alqahtani, a 27-year-old model, on Monday shared on Instagram that she would be the first participant from the country in the international beauty pageant.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has connected the strategic Nimmu-Padam-Darcha via road in Ladakh on Monday, officials said.

The road is now the third axis apart from Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh which connects Ladakh to the hinterland.

The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road draws its strategic importance from the fact that it is not only shorter vis-a-vis the other two axis, but crosses only one pass; Shinkun La (at 16,558 feet) on which tunnel work is about to be commenced by the BRO.

This will result in the road having all weather connectivity to the Ladakh region. The connectivity will strengthen the defence preparedness and provide a boost to the economic development in the Zanskar valley.

Two months after the Centre for Policy Research (CPR) received a final order cancelling its licence under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), the chief executive of the think-tank, Yamini Aiyar, will step down from her current role “to devote more time to her research interests”.

According to a statement issued by the CPR, Dr Srinivas Chokkakula, senior fellow, CPR and Ministry of Jal Shakti Research chair, will take over as the think-tank’s president and chief executive from April 1.

Insurance behemoth Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) has emerged as the strongest insurance brand globally, according to a report Brand Finance Insurance 100 2024.

The report said that LIC's brand value remains steady at USD 9.8 billion, accompanied by a brand strength index score of 88.3 and an associated AAA brand strength rating.

Following LIC, the rankings highlight Cathay Life Insurance as the second strongest brand, experiencing a 9 per cent increase in brand value to USD 4.9 billion, closely followed by NRMA Insurance, which saw an 82 per cent rise in brand value to USD 1.3 billion, according to a statement by Brand Finance Insurance.

The Army Commanders’ Conference 2024, the first for the year 2024, will be organised in a hybrid mode. The conference will commence in virtual mode on 28 March 2024, followed by a physical gathering in New Delhi on 01 and 02 April 2024.
The first part of the Army Commanders’ Conference 2024 will be virtually on March 28, 2024, and the second part in physical mode on April 1, 2024, in New Delhi. The Army Commanders’ Conference 2024 will focus on key agendas related to the field army and veterans’ welfare, including the evolving geopolitical landscape and its ramifications for national security.

The deliberations will also include sessions on improving operational effectiveness, fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability, and investing in training and development programmes to ensure readiness for future challenges.The Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Defence will also address the conference. The event will also be attended by the Defence Secretary and other senior officials from the Ministry of Defence.

Reigning Olympic and Asian Games gold medalist in Javelin Throw, Neeraj Chopra joined Bollywood bigwigs like Akshay Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan as he was named the newest brand ambassador of Eveready on Thursday, March 21.

Eveready Industries India Ltd. (EIIL), in a press release, said, "This collaboration marks a significant milestone for Eveready as it seeks to strengthen its commitment towards excellence and innovation via the launch of the new Ultima Alkaline battery series. "

"With iconic campaigns like Give Me Red featuring legendary figures such as Amitabh Bachchan and Akshay Kumar, Eveready has become ingrained in the cultural fabric of the nation, defining generations with its innovative products and memorable," it further added.

Justice Mohammad Yousuf Wani was administered oath as Additional Judge of the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Monday.

Chief Justice Justice N. Kotiswar Singh administered the oath of office to Justice Wani in Srinagar.

The contents of the notification received from the Government of India, Ministry of Law and Justice, Department of Justice (Appointments Division), the Warrant of Appointment issued by the President of India, and the Letter of Authorisation issued by the Lieutenant-Governor, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, authorising the Chief Justice of the High Court of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh to administer the oath of office to the newly appointed judge, was also read in the court.

'Fool Bahadur', the first Magahi novel, translated into English by Indian poet-diplomat Abhay K, was launched at the Dibrugarh University International Literature Festival on March 19-21 by Jnanpith Awardee Damodar Mauzo, Prof Rita Kothari, Dr AJ Thomas and Chuden Kabimo in the presence of writers and invitees from several countries.

First published in 1928, 'Fool Bahadur' by Jayanath Pati had been forgotten until recently, while Abhay K was editing The Book of Bihari Literature. It is the first Magahi novel to be translated into English.

Published by Penguin Random House India, 'Fool Bahadur' is a delightful novel set in the town of Bihar Sharif in the Nalanda district of Bihar.

In Table Tennis, India’s Sreeja Akula won the women’s singles title at the WTT Feeder Beirut II 2024 table tennis tournament at the Al Kawthar Secondary School in Lebanon yesterday. Akula, the world No. 47, beat Luxembourg’s Sarah De Nutte to win what was her second WTT singles career title. The 25-year-old’s maiden crown came at the Feeder Corpus Christi 2024 in Texas back in January.

Akula, however, failed to clinch a second table tennis title from the Lebanon meet after she and her partner Diya Chitale, went down to Hong Kong China’s Doo Hoi Kem and Zhu Chengzhu in the women’s doubles final.

For the mixed doubles crown, India’s Poymantee Baisya and Akash Pal beat Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manika Batra, while in Men’s Doubles Final, Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar won the event of the WTT Feeder Beirut- II tournament in Lebanon.

Federal Bank has introduced the innovative RuPay Smart key chain, ‘Flash Pay’, which is the first of its kind in the industry and is enabled with NCMC technology. This smart key chain allows users to make contactless payments at NCMC-enabled metro stations without the need to wait in line to purchase tickets or cards specific to the metro stations.

Customers can conduct contactless transactions (up to ₹5000) without a PIN and will need PIN authentication for amounts exceeding this limit. The daily transaction limit at any POS terminal is set at ₹1,00,000.