Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation to ratify a bilateral treaty with North Korea, which includes a promise of mutual military assistance if either country is attacked, state media reported.

Tass on Saturday reported Putin's signing of the law on ratification of the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Putin signed the deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to North Korea in June this year and Putin submitted it to the Russian State Duma for ratification on October 15. The lower and upper houses of the Russian parliament had earlier approved the bill for ratification.

In a decision that will impact applicants from India — and at a time when diplomatic ties between the two countries are strained — Canada ended its popular, fast-track student visa programme with effect from Friday.

The Student Direct Stream (SDS) programme was launched in 2018 to provide faster processing for eligible post-secondary students from 14 countries, including India. Besides a shorter processing time, the approval rates were also higher under the programme.

According to official estimates, 60 per cent of the 4 lakh Indian students who sought to study in Canada in 2023 applied under the SDS programme. Under SDS, the approval rate for Indian students was consistently higher, breaching 70 per cent in 2023. In contrast, those applying through the regular route had approval rates as low as 10 per cent.

The last rites of veteran actor Delhi Ganesh took place on Monday morning in Ramapuram, Chennai according to ANI.

After a day of honour, his mortal remains were cremated with Air Force honours. Indian Air Force personnel paid tribute to Delhi Ganesh by placing an IAF ensign on him.

Before starting his career in the film industry, the actor served as a former Air Force officer.

He passed away on Sunday, November 9 at the age of 80 due to age-related ailments. The news was confirmed by his son, Maha Devan.

Leading former Indian polo player and Arjuna Awardee Harinder Singh Sodhi, who during his peak achieved a handicap of plus-five, has died due to age-related illnesses. (More Sports News)

He was 86 and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

Popular in polo circles as 'Billy' Sodhi, he died here late on Saturday.

Sodhi played polo alongside the likes of Hanut Singh, Sawai Man Singh (Maharaja of Jaipur) and later with his son Bhawani Singh.

His younger brother, renowned polo player Ravinder Singh Sodhi, is also an Arjuna Award recipient.

Harinder was the manager of the Indian equestrian team during the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

In his final judgment before retiring as Chief Justice of India, Justice DY Chandrachud held that citizens' voices must not be silenced through threats of property destruction and emphasised that ‘bulldozer justice’ is unacceptable in a society governed by the rule of law.

He underscored that the safety and security of a citizen's home are fundamental rights deserving of protection. Consequently, the state is obligated to follow procedural safeguards and ensure due process before taking action against alleged illegal encroachments or constructions.

“Justice through bulldozers is unknown to any civilised system of jurisprudence. There is a grave danger that if high handed and unlawful behaviour is permitted by any wing or officer of the state, demolition of citizens’ properties will take place as a selective reprisal for extraneous reason,” the Chief Justice said in a verdict in a case related to the demolition of a house in Uttar Pradesh’s Maharajganj in 2019.

Indian farmers were implicitly taxed $120 billion in 2023, the highest among 54 countries, due to export bans, duties or other policies which lower the price of agricultural commodities like rice, to benefit consumers, the latest Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) assessment on agricultural policy and support globally has revealed.

In 2023, the Indian government introduced various export restrictions on commodities like rice, de-oiled rice bran, sugar and onions to keep food prices low for consumers. While this kept domestic prices from rising for the consumers, it also meant that producers’ (farmers) receipts were lower than they would have been had these policies not been in place.

In fact, according to the Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation 2024 report, which analysed 54 countries, net support to farmers in India has been negative throughout the last two decades but fluctuated markedly.

In a proud moment for JBCN Education, Kunal Dalal, Managing Director, has been recognised as the Education Leader of the Year at the prestigious Education World India School Ranking Awards 2024-2025, concluded recently in Gurgaon. This honour highlights his visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to nurturing a progressive network of international schools.

Alongside Dalal's individual recognition, JBCN Education has once again been honoured as India's Most Respected Education Brand at the Education World India School Ranking Awards 2024-2025. This marks the second consecutive year that JBCN has earned this prestigious title, a reflection of its consistent dedication to delivering innovative, holistic education that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and overall development of a learner.

Reflecting on the recognition, Kunal Dalal, Managing Director of JBCN Education, shared, "I am deeply honoured to receive this recognition, made possible by the dedication and passion of our incredible teachers, support staff, and our supportive parent and learner community. What motivates us every day is our shared vision of providing an educational experience that empowers our learners with the skills, values, and confidence to become the Changemakers of tomorrow. Together, we strive to create a learning community where every learner's potential is fully realised."

India's Arjun Erigaisi leapfrogged to second place in the world chess rankings thanks to his victory over Alexey Sarana in the Chennai Grand Masters 2024 here on Thursday.

He is jointly leading the Masters category alongside Amin Tabatabaei after three rounds.

Starting with the black pieces, Arjun reacted to Sarana's Queen's Pawn Opening as he engaged him in the Indian Game before swiftly going for an East Indian Defense.

Both players knocked off their kings early in the tie while remaining locked in an intense battle before Arjun earned the upper hand, converting it into his competition's second win.

As a result, the 21-year-old has reclaimed his 2,800 ELO rating, going past Fabiano Caruana to take the second place in the world rankings.

IIT Kharagpur has signed an MoU with the Central Council for Research (CCRH) in Homeopathy for a collaborative study on a project.

The study includes clinical verification of research and drug proving, an IIT KGP statement said.

“A project-based MoU has been signed between CCRH and IIT Kharagpur to undertake a fundamental research project on Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopic (FTIR) and Raman Study in homeopathic potentised medicines, characterisation and analysis of the medicines,” the Director General of CCRH, Dr Subhash Kaushik, said.

The statement said Thursday that the MoU was signed by the Director General of CCRH Dr Subhash Kaushik and Deputy Director of IIT Kharagpur Prof Rintu Banerjee.

In a notable sign of deepening defence cooperation between India and Australia, this year’s edition of the joint military exercise “AustraHind” commenced on Friday at the Foreign Training Node in Pune, Maharashtra.

This joint training aims to enhance interoperability between the two nations' forces, with activities ranging from tactical operations to a friendly cricket match. The exercise, taking place from 8th to 21st November 2024, underscores the close security relationship that both nations share.

The Australian Brigade Commander described Australia and India as "top-tier security partners" in light of their collaborative efforts within the Indo-Pacific region.