The 79th session of the UN General Assembly commenced in New York on Tuesday, with Palestine, although not a full UN member, being allocated a seat alongside the member states in the General Assembly Hall. Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour took his place at a table labeled “State of Palestine” between Sri Lanka and Sudan.

The Permanent Mission of Palestine to the UN shared a social media clip of Egyptian Ambassador Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud raising a point of order to confirm the new seating arrangement, which was affirmed by the UNGA President. The decision, however, has been criticized by Israel, which argues that UN membership and associated privileges are reserved for sovereign states.

Palestine currently holds observer status at the UN. A resolution adopted by the General Assembly on May 10, to reconsider Palestine’s UN membership in the UN Security Council, granted additional rights, allowing it to participate in General Assembly sessions and UN meetings “on an exceptional basis and without setting a precedent.” The resolution was passed by a majority of 143 votes, including India’s.

China’s Defense Ministry on Monday announced joint naval and air drills with Russia starting this month, underscoring the closeness between their militaries as Russia presses its grinding invasion of Ukraine.

The ministry said the “Northern United-2024” exercises would take place in the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk farther north, but gave no details.

It said the naval and air drills aimed to improve strategic cooperation between the two countries and “strengthen their ability to jointly deal with security threats.”

The notice also said the two navies would cruise together in the Pacific, the fifth time they have done so, and together take part in Russia’s “Great Ocean-24” exercise. No details were given.

China has refused to criticize Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, now in its third year, and blamed the U.S. and NATO for provoking President Vladimir Putin.

Union Bank of India on Monday announced its decision to become a signatory to the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials (PCAF). This step aligns with the growing global emphasis on climate risk management and the recent draft guidelines issued by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on climate risk disclosures.

PCAF is a global partnership of financial institutions working to develop and implement a harmonized approach to assess and disclose greenhouse gas emissions associated with loans and investments, Union Bank said in a statement.

By joining PCAF, Union Bank of India demonstrates its commitment to measuring and managing its financed emissions, a crucial aspect of climate risk management for banks, it said.

Uttar Pradesh will soon have the world’s first conservation and breeding centre for Asian king vulture in Maharajganj. The facility aims to improve the population of the species, which has been listed as critically endangered in the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list since 2007.

“This is the world’s first centre for breeding and conservation of Asian king vulture, also called red-headed vulture. It is now ready for formal inauguration,” said SK Sharma, the principal chief conservator of forest and the head of Uttar Pradesh’s forest force, on Monday.

“At the moment, we have a pair of male and female vultures. Three more females, which are in the aviary, will gradually get their male counterparts. The aviary is 20-feet by 30-feet,” said Dr Durgesh Nandan, the scientific officer at the centre.

Bandhan Bank on Monday announced the launch of a new service that allows its customers and non-customers to pay Goods and Services Tax (GST) through online and offline modes.

"The initiation of GST revenue collections marks another significant milestone in our efforts to bring government services closer to our customers," said Rajinder Babbar, Executive Director & Chief Business Officer.

The Kolkata-based private lender has also been authorised by the West Bengal government to collect taxes and non-tax receipts since February. This mandate allows the bank to collect revenue through the Government Receipt Portal System (GRIPS).

Switzerland has been ranked as the number one country in the world by US News & World Report in its ‘Best Countries Ranking 2024’, a feat they have achieved for the third year in a row.

The survey ranks 89 countries on the basis of their global perception using 10 differentially weighted sub-rankings such as adventure, agility, heritage, entrepreneurship, quality of life, cultural purpose and more. These sub-rankings are made up of 73 different attributes that a country is tested on.

While Switzerland ranked higher on metrics of quality of life and openness to business, it's lowest ranking was in the field of heritage.

Rajesh Verma, an officer of the 1987 batch of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Odisha Cadre, on Monday took charge as the new full-time Chairperson of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM).

According to a statement from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change released on Monday, Verma has been appointed for a period of three years from the date of assumption of charge or until further orders, whichever is earlier. He has experience of over three-and-a-half decades and expertise in public administration and governance.

Verma has extensive experience working in different departments of the Central and state governments, including the President's Secretariat, Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Ministry of Power, Rural Electrification Corporation Ltd. (REC) and various departments of Odisha government.

Chess prodigy Shubhi Gupta once again underlined her prowess as she clinched the girls U-16 gold and girls U-20 bronze medal in the just concluded Commonwealth Chess Championships 2024 in Kalutara, Sri Lanka. A Women FIDE Master (WFM) and the reigning U-19 girls' national champion, Shubhi left a lasting impression with her impeccable performance in the U-16 category, securing seven wins and two draws. With an exceptional score of 8 points out of a possible 9, she outclassed her competition, finishing ahead of India’s Mrittika Mallick (7 points) and Yashvi Jain (6.5 points), who took second and third places respectively.

Not stopping at her U-16 triumph, Shubhi further showcased her competitive spirit in the open category, competing against seasoned Grandmasters (GMs), International Masters (IMs), and Women Grandmasters (WGMs). Her determined performance, scoring 4.5 points, led to a third-place finish in the U-20 girls' division, securing her a bronze medal.

According to a new report from Counterpoint Research, India has emerged as the world’s second-largest market for 5G smartphones, trailing only behind China. 5G smartphones are becoming increasingly prominent across various price ranges in India.

Prachir Singh, a senior analyst at Counterpoint Research, highlighted that significant contributions from brands like Samsung, Vivo, and Xiaomi, especially in the budget segment, have been key to this growth.

"India became the second-biggest 5G handset market during the first half, overtaking the US. The strong shipments from Xiaomi, Vivo, Samsung, and other brands in the budget segment were the main reasons for this trend," Singh said.

THE SONBHADRA Police Line has achieved international ISO certification, the state government announced on Wednesday. It is now the first police line in Purvanchal (eastern Uttar Pradesh) to receive the ISO-9001:2015 certification from International Organisation for Standardization. This certification recognises Sonbhadra Police Line’s excellence in management, training, services, and facilities, a statement said.

The Commissionerate Gautam Buddha Nagar (Noida) has set a precedent as Uttar Pradesh’s first ISO-9001:2015 certified commissionerate. The recent ISO-9001:2015 certification of Sonbhadra Police Line underscores the successful implementation of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s vision for “smart policing.”

This certification marks a significant milestone in the CM’s commitment to accountability, transparency, and zero tolerance toward crime. It ensures the timeliness of operations, adherence to standard operating procedures, enhanced human management and improved workplace conditions.