Govt sanctions bases for five new battalions of the Rapid Action Force

  • A total of five battalions of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) were sanctioned by the central government in January this year and their new bases have now been sanctioned.
  • With these, the total number of RAF battalions in the country has touched 15.
  • The five new battalions will be based in the following locations: Varanasi (Uttar Pradesh), Jaipur (Rajasthan), Mangalore (Karnataka), Hajipur (Bihar), and Nuh (Haryana).
  • Varanasi will be the fourth base of the RAF in Uttar Pradesh – the three others being in Meerut, Allahabad and Aligarh.

Pakistan test-fires nuclear-capable Ghauri ballistic missile

  • Pakistan has successfully test-fired the Ghauri ballistic missile.
  • The missle is capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear warheads.
  • It has a range of 1,300 kilometres.
  • Earlier, the nation test-fired an upgraded Babur cruise missile, which has a range of 700 kilometres.

Manu Bhaker becomes first Indian woman to win gold at Youth Olympic Games 2018 shooting event

  • Shooter Manu Bhaker has become the first Indian woman to win gold at the Youth Olympics in shooting.
  • Sixteen-year-old Bhaker achieved the feat with a win at the women’s 10m Air Pistol event.
  • Bhaker recorded a score of 236.5, beating silver-medallist Iana Enina of Russia, who shot 235.9.

Gujarat starts vaccinating Gir lions against canine distemper virus

  • The Gujarat Forest Department has started a vaccination drive to inoculate the lions of the Gir Forest National Park against a deadly distemper virus.
  • 23 lions have died in Gir in less than a month, and most of these were found with canine distemper virus (CDV) and protozoa infections.
  • CDV is thought to be behind 30% of the deaths of African lions in East African forests.

Nikki Haley resigns as US ambassador to United Nations

  • Indian-American Nikki Haley has resigned as the US ambassador to the United Nations.
  • She will leave the administration at the end of the year.
  • Haley has previously been governor of South Carolina, and was the first woman to hold the post.

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