Overview

Pyongyang slams monitoring group's report on North Korea-Russia military cooperation

Pyongyang slams monitoring group's report on North Korea-Russia military cooperation

North Korea on Monday denounced a monitoring group on the enforcement of UN sanctions against Pyongyang for issuing a report on military cooperation between the North and Russia, calling the move a violation of a state's sovereign rights.

The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team (MSMT) on Thursday issued the first report detailing illegal military cooperation carried out between North Korea and Russia in violation of UN Security Council resolutions against Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programmes.

The chief of the external policy office at North Korea's foreign ministry said the MSMT committed a "political provocation" by fabricating a report taking issue with cooperative ties between the North and Russia, according to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

Markets bounce back after early slump, end slightly lower

Markets bounce back after early slump, end slightly lower

Indian stock markets showed resilience on Monday, recovering strongly from early losses to end just mildly lower by the closing bell.

The Sensex ended the day at 81,374, down by 77 points or 0.09 per cent. However, this marked a sharp rebound of 719 points from the day's low of 80,654.

Similarly, the Nifty closed at 24,717, slipping 34 points or 0.14 per cent, after recovering from its intra-day low of 24,526.

Investor sentiment was weak in the morning after US President Donald Trump announced higher tariffs on steel imports.

The proposed hike, from 25 per cent to 50 per cent, is expected to take effect from June 4.

On top of this, rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, volatile foreign investment flows, and caution ahead of the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) policy decision all weighed on the market mood.

Sikkim: 3 dead as landslide strikes Indian Army camp, rescue operation underway

Sikkim: 3 dead as landslide strikes Indian Army camp, rescue operation underway

Three people lost their lives, four sustained injuries, and several remain unaccounted for after a massive landslide, triggered by relentless rainfall, struck an Indian Army camp at Chaten in Sikkim's Lachen district.

The disaster unfolded at around 7:00 p.m. on Sunday evening following continuous downpours that loosened the mud on the mountainside, sending debris crashing down onto the camp, the Trishakti Corps division of the Indian Army announced on Monday.

Those confirmed dead include Havaldar Lakhwinder Singh, Lance Naik Munish Thakur, and Porter Abhishek Lakhada. Their mortal remains have been recovered by emergency response teams.

Four personnel with minor injuries have also been rescued from the site. Rescue operations are still underway for six missing individuals, with efforts continuing despite the hazardous weather and rugged terrain.

India Inc posts stable Q4 performance amid global headwinds: Report

India Inc posts stable Q4 performance amid global headwinds: Report

Corporate performance in India in the fourth quarter of FY25 was, on the whole, satisfactory and there is scope for an upward movement once consumption picks up in FY26, according to a report released on Monday.

The aggregate net sales of a sample of 1,893 companies were recorded at 5.4 per cent in Q4, while net profits rose by 7.6 per cent, according to the Bank of Baroda (BoB) report.

“There are sectors which are witnessing green shoots of recovery. Infrastructure linked sectors continue to witness steady growth notwithstanding a negative base effect. For consumer linked sectors, such as FMCG and consumer durables, strong rural demand and seasonal demand continues to aid a steady recovery,” said economist Aditi Gupta.

EV booster: Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Hyundai show interest in India manufacturing

EV booster: Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Hyundai show interest in India manufacturing

Union Heavy Industries Minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Monday that Mercedes Benz, Skoda-Volkswagen (VW), Hyundai, and Kia have shown keen interest in manufacturing their electric vehicles (EVs) in India.

The minister further said that the application window for the Scheme to Promote Manufacturing of Electric Passenger Cars in India (SPMEPCI) will open soon.

On Elon Musk-run Tesla, the Union Minister said: "We are not actually expecting (manufacturing) from them as they are only to start showrooms. They are not interested in manufacturing in India."

IIT Madras study shows viruses follow seasonal and yearly cycles

IIT Madras study shows viruses follow seasonal and yearly cycles

Amid a fresh wave of Covid-19, caused by the SARS-CoV2, a new study by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras showed that viruses follow seasonal and yearly cycles.

The international study, undertaken along with a team of scientists from the universities of Wisconsin-Madison and Texas at Austin, focussed on viruses in freshwater lakes.

The researchers used cutting-edge Machine Learning (ML) tools to study 465 freshwater lake samples from Madison, Wisconsin, collected over more than 20 years -- representing the longest DNA-based monitoring of a natural environment on Earth.

By sequencing all the DNA from the lakes using a method called metagenomics, the researchers reconstructed 1.3 million virus genomes.

Flood situation remains grim in Assam, over four lakh affected

Flood situation remains grim in Assam, over four lakh affected

The flood situation in Assam continued to deteriorate as inclement weather offered no relief to thousands of affected residents. Heavy rainfall and rising river levels have led to flooding in at least 17 districts across the state, impacting over four lakh people, officials said on Monday.

Cachar district emerged as the worst-hit, accounting for over one lakh displaced residents. Sribhumi and Nagaon districts have reported 85,000 and 62,000 affected individuals, respectively.

While urban centres have seen a slight receding of floodwaters, rural and low-lying regions remain vulnerable.

With weather conditions showing no signs of improvement, officials warn that the situation could worsen in the coming days. Disaster response teams remain on high alert as they assist those displaced or stranded, but continuous rainfall and rising water levels are hindering operations.

South Korea: Nearly 30,000 police to be deployed across polling stations nationwide

South Korea: Nearly 30,000 police to be deployed across polling stations nationwide

South Korea will deploy nearly 30,000 police officials across the polling stations nationwide this week, as part of security measures for the June 3 presidential election, government said on Monday.

A total of 28,590 police officers will be stationed across 14,295 polling stations Tuesday, when the nation heads to the polls to elect its new leader, according to the National Police Agency.

Police said they will maintain the highest level of emergency security, in which all police personnel can be mobilized, from 6 a.m. Tuesday until the newly elected president enters office, news agency reported.

South Korea will elect a new leader on Tuesday to succeed former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who was ousted from office over his short-lived imposition of martial law in December.

The top military officer also inspected Army units Monday, the eve of the presidential election, and called for a firm readiness posture against North Korean threats.

India manufacturing PMI stands at 57.6 in May: HSBC

India manufacturing PMI stands at 57.6 in May: HSBC

India’s manufacturing sector continued its healthy performance in May, with the HSBC India Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) recording a reading of 57.6, it said on Monday.

While slightly lower than April’s 58.2, the index remains well above the neutral 50 mark -- signifying sustained expansion in the sector, according to data compiled by S&P Global.

“India’s May manufacturing PMI signalled another month of robust growth in the sector,” said Pranjul Bhandari, Chief India Economist at HSBC.

“The acceleration in employment growth to a new peak is certainly a positive development. Input cost inflation is picking up, but manufacturers seem to be able to lessen the pressure on profit margins by raising output prices,” she added.

The growth was powered by solid domestic and overseas demand, as well as successful marketing efforts that boosted export orders to one of the highest levels seen in the last three years.

Obesity may lead to anxiety, impair brain functioning: Study

Obesity may lead to anxiety, impair brain functioning: Study

Among the global rise in obesity rates, a study showed that being overweight can lead to mental health issues like anxiety and also impair brain functioning.

The animal study suggested that the two conditions may be connected through interactions between the gut and the brain.

Conducted in mice, the research linked diet-induced obesity with anxiety-like symptoms, alterations in brain signaling, and differences in gut microbes that may contribute to impaired brain functioning.

"Our findings suggest that obesity can lead to anxiety-like behaviour, possibly due to changes in both brain function and gut health," said Desiree Wanders, Associate Professor and chair of nutrition at Georgia State University, US.

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