Armenia has become the newest State Member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the announcement, made during the IUCN World Conservation Congress in Abu Dhabi, underscores Armenia’s growing commitment to advancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.

“Through IUCN, Armenia will gain access to global expertise, innovative tools and international partnerships that will help us accelerate our conservation goals,” said Hambardzum Matevosyan, Minister of Environment of Armenia. “This membership also supports our preparations for hosting COP17 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in 2026, a landmark moment for Armenia to showcase its role in advancing biodiversity and sustainability.”

Located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, Armenia is home to diverse habitats ranging from alpine meadows and mountain forests to semi-deserts and freshwater ecosystems. These landscapes support several rare and threatened species, including the Critically Endangered Caucasian leopard, the endemic Bezoar goat, and the Sevan trout, found only in Lake Sevan.

The U.S. will allow Qatar to build a military training facility at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho to deepen the bilateral defense ties.

The agreement was signed yesterday by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Qatari Defense Minister Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. This agreement will see Qatari F-15QA fighter jets and pilots stationed in Idaho for joint training with U.S. forces over the next decade.

The move follows President Donald Trump’s recent executive order pledging to treat any attack on Qatar as a threat to U.S. security. The announcement comes amid heightened tensions after an Israeli strike in Doha targeting Hamas also killed a Qatari serviceman.

The 70th Filmfare Awards celebrated the best of Hindi cinema on Saturday night, October 11, 2025, at EKA Arena, Kankaria Lake in Ahmedabad. Hosted by Shah Rukh Khan alongside Karan Johar and Maniesh Paul, the star-studded evening saw dazzling performances from Shah Rukh, Kriti Sanon, Kajol, and several others.

The night clearly belonged to Laapataa Ladies, which bagged 13 trophies, including the prestigious Best Film award, matching the all-time record set by Gully Boy. Abhishek Bachchan and Kartik Aaryan jointly received the Best Actor (Male) honour, while Alia Bhatt was named Best Actress for her powerful performance.

In a landmark decision that redraws the career path for judicial officers, a five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Thursday (October 9) ruled that sitting judges in the subordinate judiciary can compete for the post of district judge through direct recruitment.

The verdict in Rejanish KV vs K Deepa, delivered by a bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai, overturns a series of previous Supreme Court judgements that had reserved this direct recruitment quota exclusively for lawyers with at least seven years of practice at the bar.

The judgment consists of a majority opinion authored by CJI Gavai on behalf of himself and Justices Aravind Kumar, Satish Chandra Sharma and K Vinod Chandran, and a separate, concurring opinion by Justice MM Sundresh, which reinforces the conclusion through a different line of reasoning.

Russia’s lower house of parliament on Wednesday approved a move to withdraw from a landmark agreement with the United States aimed at reducing vast stockpiles of weapons-grade plutonium left over from thousands of Cold War nuclear warheads.

The Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA), signed in 2000, committed both the United States and Russia to dispose of at least 34 tonnes of weapons-grade plutonium each, which U.S. officials said would have been enough for as many as 17,000 nuclear warheads. It came into force in 2011.

“The United States has taken a number of new anti-Russian steps that fundamentally change the strategic balance that prevailed at the time of the Agreement and create additional threats to strategic stability,” a Russian note on the legislation withdrawing Moscow from the pact said.

In a significant verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday held that age restrictions would not apply to all intending couples who began the process of having a child prior to the enactment of the Surrogacy (Regulation) Act, 2021.

The court ruled that couples who had frozen their embryos before the implementation of the law on 25 January 2022 would be allowed to proceed with surrogacy irrespective of their age.

"The right to make reproductive choices, including pursuing surrogacy, is a facet of personal liberty and privacy protected under Article 21 of the Constitution," said a two-judge bench comprising Justices B.V. Nagarathna and K.V. Vishwanathan.

In a major step toward empowering small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across India, HDFC Bank today announced the launch of "My Business QR", powered by Vyaparify -- a digital innovation designed to give Bharat's entrepreneurs their first commerce identity.

Vyaparify positions itself as the Commerce Playbook for Bharat's SMEs, bridging the gap between jaankari (information), pehchaan (identity), battein (engagement), and vyapar (business) -- all through a single, smart QR code.

One QR Poora Vyapar.

The newly launched My Business QR brings together payments, identity, communication, and commerce under one unified solution. When customers scan the QR, they don't just pay -- they discover the merchant, view their products or services, chat via WhatsApp, and even save their contact directly in the phonebook.

India and the U.K. strengthened defence and trade partnerships over Keir Starmer’s first visit to India after assuming the charge of the top office. On Thursday (October 9, 2025), the Prime Ministers signed agreements furthering the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) and a £350 million contract for the U.K. to supply missiles to India.

Mr. Starmer, accompanied by a delegation of about 100 entrepreneurs, cultural representatives, and university Vice-Chancellors, arrived in Mumbai for a two-day visit to take advantage of the opportunities brought about by the India-U.K. CETA signed in July.

The British Film Institute (BFI) on Wednesday hailed a pact agreed with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to Mumbai on Wednesday. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreed in the presence of BFI Governors Monica Chadha and Andrew Smith, part of Starmer’s trade delegation, is expected to boost co-productions and joint projects between both countries. 

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced plans to set up a world-class convention centre in Nagpur, equipped with all modern facilities. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the Chief Minister’s residence in Mumbai today, between the Maharashtra government and Fira Barcelona International, a leading company from Spain.

Speaking at the event, Chief Minister Fadnavis said, the location for the convention centre should be well connected by every mode of transport. He added that the centre should not only host exhibitions and major events but also serve as a cultural hub that tells the story of Nagpur’s rich history. He emphasised that it should stand out as a symbol of modern design, advanced technology, and eco-friendly construction.

Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has formally recognised three major ports as Green Hydrogen Hubs under the National Green Hydrogen Mission. These ports are Deendayal Port Authority in Gujarat, V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority in Tamil Nadu and Paradip Port Authority in Odisha. The Ministry said in a statement that this recognition marks a significant step towards creating an integrated hydrogen ecosystem and advancing India’s transition towards clean energy.

Welcoming the development, Ports, Shipping and Waterways Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, this recognition marks a defining moment in India’s maritime journey. He added that government is working towards building an ecosystem of sustainable development that will power India towards realising the vision of becoming net zero by 2070.

The National Green Hydrogen Mission aims to position India as a global hub for the production, utilisation, and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives. The Mission promotes the development of large-scale hydrogen hubs to serve as focal points for production and consumption.