1. South Korea launches contest in Chandigarh to promote tourism
To promote South Korea as a tourist destination, its government is involving school students in Chandigarh and of nearby cities in a contest.
Tourism contributes five per cent to South Korea's Gross Domestic Product. On an average 200,000 tourists from India visit the country every year.
Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan has been the Goodwill Ambassador of South Korea since April 2014.
2. India among 5 countries that faced most terror attacks in 2016
More than half of the terror attacks in the world in 2016 took place in five countries, including India and Pakistan, a senior US counter-terror official has said.
The total number of terror attacks in 2016 were lower than in 2015.
Fifty-five per cent of all attacks took place in Iraq, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines, and 75 per cent of all deaths due to terrorist attacks took place in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
3. Australia joins International Solar Alliance
Australia became the 35th country to join the International Solar Alliance, an initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2015 in Paris.
It is co-led by India and France.
The aim was to support developing countries to boost their solar production capacity.
The solar alliance, whose head office is in India, has grown stronger in the past two years with more countries joining the group and signing the agreement.
4. Shala Siddhi Prohatsan Yojana started in 25,000 MP schools
In order to provide qualitative education to the students, 'Hamari Shala Kaisi Ho' and 'Shala Siddhi Karyakram' are being implemented by the School Education department in Government schools of Madhya Pradesh.
The State Education Centre has started Shala Siddhi Prohatsan Yojana to encourage best works under this programme.
The Shala Siddhi Prohatsan Yojana has been started in 25,000 schools of the State till date.
5. Cabinet approves selling 51% stake in HPCL to ONGC
The Cabinet has given an in-principle approval to sell the government’s entire 51.11 per cent stake in Hindustan Petroleum Corp Ltd to Oil and Natural Gas Corp in a bid to create a state-run integrated oil major that can compete with private and foreign players.
ONGC chairman Dinesh Sarraf said the shareholders of both companies would gain from the deal.
The combined market value of ONGC and HPCL would be $42 billion.
6. Google launches job applicant management tool 'Hire'
Google officially released a new tool named 'Hire' to help small and medium sized businesses recruit talent.
The service is built on G Suite and will allow employers to track candidates' contact information, resume details and calendar invites.
It will allow business partners to share feedback within the candidate's profile.
7. T R Zeliang appointed new CM of Nagaland by Governor
TR Zeliang has been appointed new Chief Minister of Nagaland by Governor PB Acharya.
The Nagaland Governor has asked Zeliang to prove his majority on the floor of the House on or before July 22.
Embattled Nagaland Chief Minister Shurhozelie Liezietsu and his supporters failed to turn up in the Assembly to face the floor test following which the House was adjourned.
8. Kerala emerge champs at national inter-state meet
Kerala emerged champions with 159 points as the 57th National Inter-State Championships ended on a high note at the Acharya Nagarjuna University ground in Guntur.
Tamil Nadu (110) came on second position and Haryana (101) on third. at the end of the 4-day event.
Anu R. (400m, Kerala) finished the championships as the best woman athlete with 1105 points while Davinder Singh Kang (Javelin Throw, Punjab) was the top athlete among men with 1127 points.
9. Asian champion shot-putter Manpreet fails dope test
Asian champion shot-putter Manpreet Kaur has been caught in the dope net after testing positive for a banned stimulant, a massive embarrassment for the country which might lose the gold medal clinched by her earlier this month.
Kaur, who won a gold medal in the recently-concluded Asian Athletics Championships in Bhubaneswar, tested positive for stimulant dimethylbutylamine.
The test was conducted by National Anti-Doping (NADA) officials during the Federation Cup National Championships held in Patiala from June.
