The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a breathtaking image of a distant quasar, a super bright object powered by a black hole. This image isn't your typical space picture though. A cosmic phenomenon called gravitational lensing has transformed the quasar's light into a stunning "Einstein ring."

The quasar, known as RX J1131-1231, resides an incredible 6 billion light-years from Earth. In the foreground of the image lies a massive elliptical galaxy. Its powerful gravity bends the light from the distant quasar, creating a bright arc and even duplicate images. This creates a mesmerizing effect resembling a ring adorned with jewels.

World Health Organization (WHO) has introduced an online platform called MeDevIS (Medical Devices Information System), the first global open access clearing house for information on medical devices. It is designed to support governments, regulators and users in their decision-making on selection, procurement and use of medical devices for diagnostics, testing and treatment of diseases and health conditions.

The MeDevIS platform includes 2301 types of medical devices used for a broad-ranging health issues, including reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, noncommunicable diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes as well as infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

“The number of medical technologies used in health care is growing, as is their complexity, which can make it challenging for health care practitioners and patients to navigate,” said Dr Yukiko Nakatani, WHO Assistant Director-General for Access to Medicines and Health Products. “We aim to provide a one stop shop of international information, which can be invaluable for those making decisions on life-saving medical technologies, especially in resource-limited settings, and to improve access”.

Tata Mutual Fund announced the launch of the Tata Nifty India Tourism Index Fund, an open-ended equity scheme following a sectoral or thematic theme.

The scheme opened for public subscription on July 08, 2024, and will close on July 19, 2024. The scheme re-opens for continuous sale and repurchase on July 29, 2024.

This is an open-ended equity scheme following the special situations theme.

At the launch of the index fund, Anand Vardarajan, Chief Business Officer, Tata Asset Management said, “High disposable income, infrastructure developments like better highway connectivity, improved railway comfort & speed and so many new airports have made travel easy, swift and safe. We are witnessing exponential growth in domestic aviation, hotels, restaurants, and travel which augurs very well for the tourism segment. All types of travel, be it pilgrimage, business, medical, or leisure are registering a surge. This makes a compelling case for looking at tourism as a segment and how one could invest and aim to benefit from the growth of this sector.”

Four public sector banks, including Canara Bank and Indian Bank, on Wednesday presented dividend cheques worth Rs 6,481 crore to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for financial year 2023-24.

"Smt @nsitharaman receives a dividend cheque of Rs 2,514.22 crore for FY 2023-24 from Shri Debadatta Chand, Managing Director & CEO -@bankofbaroda," the finance ministry said in a post on X.

Smt @nsitharaman receives a dividend cheque of Rs 252 crore for FY 2023-24 from Smt Harsha Bangari, Managing Director & CEO - @IndiaEximBank. pic.twitter.com/xOCdyn7q8Q

— Nirmala Sitharaman Office (@nsitharamanoffc) July 10, 2024

Similarly, a dividend cheque of Rs 1,838.15 crore was handed over by Canara Bank MD and CEO K Satyanarayana Raju.

Ukraine's Yaroslava Mahuchikh set a new world record in the women's high jump on Sunday, clearing 2.10 meters at the Paris Diamond League to break a mark that has stood since 1987.

The 22-year-old world champion brushed off suggestions though that the jump had made her the clear favourite for the Paris Olympics, which begins on July 26.

"I am looking forward to the Olympic Games here. I am sure it will be a great competition with an even better atmosphere, but I know it will be hard and very competitive," she said.

Two new species of litter-dwelling jumping spiders from the evergreen forests of the southern Western Ghats have been found by researchers from Christ College, Irinjalakuda.

The newly discovered species, Habrocestum swaminathan and Habrocestum benjamin, which have been added to the illustrious roster of the genus Habrocestum, have sparked scientific curiosity among arachnologists and nature enthusiasts.

The Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), a regional security grouping, officially welcomed Bangladesh as its fifth member state on Wednesday. The announcement came during the 8th Deputy National Security Adviser (DNSA) level meeting, hosted virtually by Mauritius. The existing members – India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, and the Maldives – warmly received Bangladesh into the fold, while Seychelles participated as an observer state.

The Colombo Security Conclave was established in 2020, when India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives agreed to expand the scope of their trilateral meeting on maritime cooperation. Mauritius joined the conclave at the fifth meeting of the grouping in Male in March 2022.

During Wednesday’s virtual meeting, member states reviewed the progress of activities outlined in the CSC’s Roadmap for 2023-2024. They also discussed decisions taken at previous high-level meetings, including the 7th DNSA level meeting hosted by the Maldives in July 2023 and the 6th NSA level meeting in Mauritius last December.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second-biggest ally is demanding Rs 30,000 crore ($3.6 billion) from India’s federal budget this year to help fund projects in Bihar state, according to people familiar with the matter, a test for the coalition government.

The Bihar government, which is led by Janata Dal (United)’s Nitish Kumar, made the request during a pre-budget meeting with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman last month, the people said, asking not to be identified because the discussions are private.

The government has received the request from Bihar but hasn’t yet decided how much will be allocated to the state this year, one of the people said.

India has become an exporter of sniper rifles for the first time after a Bengaluru-based firm bagged the contract from a friendly nation. Small-arms manufacturer SSS Defence has bagged a mega export contract from a country for the supply of .338 Lapua Magnum calibre sniper rifle. Not only the sniper rifles, the private firm also bagged contracts for the supply of nearly USD 50 million worth of ammunition from multiple countries.

The sniper rifle, which is intended for targets up to 1,500 metres and beyond, is completely designed and made in India.

Quoting sources in the defence sector, a report by The Print said this is the first time India has exported sniper files to a foreign country. Sources further said that SSS Defence has already completed the export of the sniper rifles and is in talks with a few other nations as well.

The News Broadcasters & Digital Association (NBDA) has unanimously elected India TV chairman Rajat Sharma as its president.

He replaces Avinash Pandey, the former CEO of ABP Network.

Sharma said that the TV news industry is at a critical juncture and NBDA needs to collectively work together to advance the interests of the genre, which is operating under tremendous pressure.

"It is our responsibility to ensure that we are allowed to operate in a fearless atmosphere to deliver free and fair news," he added.

NBDA is the largest organisation of news broadcasters and digital media in India, consisting of almost all major news networks in the country.