The Commissioner of Food Safety, Telangana on Saturday took to X to announce the ban on gutkha and pan masala. It said: “The Commissioner of Food Safety has issued a notification prohibiting the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation and sale of gutkha/pan masala which contains tobacco and nicotine, with effect from May 24, 2024’’.

‘’In exercise of the powers conferred under clause (a) of Sub-section (2) of Section 30 of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 rcad with 2.3.4 of Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restriction on Sales) Regulation 2011 and in the interest of public health, Commissioner of Food Safety, Telangana state hereby prohibits the manufacture, storage, distribution, transportation and sale of gutkha and pan masala which contains tobacco and nicotine as an ingredient which are packed in sachets /pouches/package containers, or by whatever name it is called in the entire State of Telangana for a period of one year with effect from May 24, 2024,” the notification read.

For the upcoming occasion of International Yoga Day, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in Geneva and World Health Organization (WHO) yesterday organised a ‘Walk the Talk’ Yoga session event at Place des Nations. Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra joined by Director General of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and other senior officers of India delegation joined the event and re-energised themselves with yoga aasanas. 

To promote hydrogen and fuel cell technology for heavy-duty e-mobility, Indian Oil handed over a hydrogen fuel cell bus to the Indian Army at an event held at the National War Memorial on Monday in Delhi.

During the event, IndianOil also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Army to pioneer the deployment of hydrogen fuel cell technology for heavy-duty e-mobility.

The initiative positions Indian Army as a pioneer in evaluating this technology in collaboration with IndianOil to improve future mobility in India.

The handing over and signing ceremony was held in the presence of General Manoj Pande, Chief of Army Staff, S M Vaidya, Chairman, IndianOil, and senior officials of IndianOil and the Indian Army.

World hunger has been a prevailing issue since the beginning of time. Since the time the world began, a large number of people have been suffering and failing to meet basic nutritional needs. Around 820 million people across the world suffer from hunger every day. This further leads to malnutrition, stunted growth, low immunity, becoming prone to diseases and ultimately, death. World hunger needs to be addressed as soon as possible to provide basic necessities to everyone around the world. Every year, World Hunger Day is observed to raise awareness about the silent struggle of many around the globe. 

Legendary Pakistani actor Talat Hussain died on Sunday, May 26 in Karachi following a prolonged illness. He was 83. Arts Council of Pakistani Karachi President Ahmed Shah confirmed the news, stating that he had been undergoing treatment at a hospital in the city.

Talat Hussain worked with actors Jeetendra and Rekha in the 1989 film 'Souten Ki Beti'. Confirming his death, Shah said, "An acclaimed actor like Talat Hussain is born after centuries."

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on Wednesday said it has signed a deal with Kuwait’s commercial lender Burgan Bank to help modernise its core banking technology. The size and tenure of the deal were not disclosed.

“The bank will deploy TCS BaNCS to consolidate multiple standalone legacy applications into a contemporary universal banking solution that drives innovation and strengthens customer relationships,” TCS said in a statement.

India ended their World Para Athletics Championships campaign with unprecedented success, scooping 17 medals, including six gold, to take the sixth spot in the standings with Delhi sprinter Simran Sharma winning the country’s sixth yellow metal in Kobe on May 24.

Simran won the gold medal in women’s 200m T12 event with a personal best time of 24.95 seconds on the final day of competitions. She shaved off around one-fifth of a second from her earlier personal best of 25.16 seconds to win the gold.

Darlenys De La Severino (25.08) of Dominica and Lorraine Gomes De Aguiar (25.40) won the silver and bronze respectively.

High Commissioner of India in Bangladesh Pranay Verma and Investment Adviser of Bangladesh Prime Minister Salman Fazlur Rahman on Saturday jointly inaugurated a new plant of India’s leading pharmaceutical company, Sun Pharma, near Dhaka. This is the company’s second investment in Bangladesh with a production capacity of over 1 billion tablets and capsules per year.

Speaking at the ceremony, the High Commissioner highlighted the new investment as part of the growing economic and industrial engagement between India and Bangladesh and a visible symbol of the recent transformation of their relationship. He stressed that the plant, which is the first pharmaceutical unit in any Economic Zone of Bangladesh, is not just a testament to India’s continued commitment to promote partnership with Bangladesh, but also reflects the growing interest among Indian businesses to invest in Bangladesh.

Vice Admiral Gurcharan Singh assumed charge as Commandant of National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, on Saturday from Vice Admiral Ajay Kochhar.

An alumnus of the NDA, Singh was commissioned into Indian Navy in Jul 1990. The Flag Officer has held several appointments, both afloat and ashore. As a specialist in gunnery and missiles, he has served onboard Indian Naval Ships Ranjit and Prahar. He holds the distinction of being part of the commissioning crew of three Indian constructed warships, INS Brahmaputra as gunnery officer, INS Shivalik as executive officer, and INS Kochi as commanding officer.

He has also commanded INS Vidyut and INS Khukri, and served as instructor at INS Dronacharya (Gunnery School) and deputy commandant of Naval War College, Goa. His staff tenures include appointments at Directorate of Personnel, as the assistant chief of personnel (HRD), Directorate of Naval Intelligence.

Some evenings are magical. It will take a while to recover from the euphoric sight of Payal Kapadia and her wonderful cast — Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam — receiving the Grand Prix award for All We Imagine As Light at this edition of the Cannes Film Festival.

It may not have been the coveted Palme d’Or, but making the second spot in one of the toughest competition line-ups is not too shabby. Unless you have been living under a rock, or are oblivious to the happenings in the cinematic sector, you would have heard enough about Kapadia’s debut feature ending a 30-year dry spell (Shaji N Karun’s Swaham was part of the Cannes competition in 1994). And the win makes it a historic first for an Indian filmmaker who just happens to be a woman: It doesn’t get bigger than Cannes.