The Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near the Bahanaga Station in Balasore, Odisha, on Friday( 2 June, 2023) evening, leaving several people injured. The high-speed train derailed due to a collision with a freight train.

• India saw one of its worst rail disasters on Friday (2 June) evening when two passenger trains and a goods train crashed near the Balasore district in Odisha.
• At least 280 people were killed and more than 800 injured due to the collision of the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, Howrah Superfast Express, running from Bangalore to Howrah, and a freight train.

NATO countries have kicked off military exercises with a pledge to defend their newest member, Finland, which is hosting its first joint training in the Arctic region since becoming part of the Western alliance in April.

• The exercise involves approximately 1,000 allied forces from Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States, along with NATO applicant Sweden. 

• Finland, NATO's newest member, is hosting its first joint training in the Arctic region since joining the Western alliance in April.

• The exercise took place at Rovajärvi in northern Finland, near the Russian border, at one of Europe's largest artillery training grounds.

World Bicycle Day is observed on June 3. The day is marked to spread awareness about the benefits of using a bicycle. According to the United Nations, the day highlights the “uniqueness, longevity and versatility of the bicycle”.

• The day is observed since 2018 after a resolution was passed by the United Nations, during its 72nd Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly. 
• World Bicycle Day talks about the “benefits of using the bicycle — a simple, affordable, clean and environmentally fit sustainable means of transportation.”

In Thailand Open Badminton, World no. 2 South Korean An Se Young defeated China’s He Bingjiao in straight games 21-10, 21-19 to claim her fourth Women Single’s Super Series title on the BWF World Tour this season at the Thailand Open in Bangkok . This was Young’s seventh final berth in a row. 

In Men’s singles, the Thai shuttler Kunlavut Vitidsarn secured the Thailand Open title for the first time in his career today, becoming the only men’s singles player in the badminton World Tour to have won more than one tournament this year. He defeated Lee Cheuk Yiu of Hong Kong in straight sets, 21-12, 21-10 in the final.

Chandigarh youngster Sainyam gave India a golden start to the ISSF Junior World Cup here today by finishing atop the podium in the women’s 10m air pistol competition.

• Sainyam shot 238 in the final to leave Korean Kim Minseo behind in second place.
• The Korean shot 236.0 for silver while the bronze went to Chinese Taipei’s Liu Heng Yu, who bowed after the 22nd shot of the 24-shot final, with a score of 216.9, 0.2 behind the Korean at that stage. 
• In other results, India’s Suruchi Inder Singh also reached the women’s pistol final, finishing sixth with a score of 154.1.
• Amit Sharma in the junior men’s 10m air pistol was the lone Indian finalist in the event and finished fourth to miss out on a medal. Italian Luca Arrighi won gold in the event.

In a bid to protect the rights of children in Lebanon, UN General Assembly decided to organize the International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression on June 4 every year. 

• Innocent children throughout the world fall prey to acts of terror, violence, maiming and abduction each day.
• International Day of Innocent Children Victims of Aggression emphasizes the commitment of the United Nations towards protecting the rights of children. 
• According to the UNICEF report, 104,100 children have been killed or maimed since 2005, with more than two-thirds of these deaths occurring between 2014 and 2020. Since 2005, around 25,700 children have been abducted, 14,200 have been sexually abused and 93,000 have been recruited by armed actors.