NATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Actor Vijay launches his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam’s flag: Tamil cinema’s leading actor and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam president Vijay launched his party’s flag and flag song at the party headquarters at Panaiyur in Chennai.Vijay introduced the two-coloured flag with red on top and bottom; yellow in the middle; and a flower resembling Vaagai surrounded by 28 stars at the centre with two trumpeting tuskers facing each other on either side.Warriors of ancient Tamil kingdoms wore Vaagai flower garlands to symbolise victory. Mr. Vijay also hoisted the flag at the party’s headquarters and launched the party’s flag song Thamizhan Kodi Parakuthu.Vijay had in February, this year announced the formation of his political party Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam and declared that his party would enter the electoral fray in the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.
2. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi launched Subhadra scheme: The Bharatiya Janata Party Government led by Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, announced the implementation of the Subhadra scheme under which ₹50,000 will be provided over five years to one crore women between the ages of 21 and 60.The Subhadra scheme is one of the key poll promises made by the BJP which came to power toppling 24 years rule of former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.The Scheme has been approved for implementation from the financial year 2024-25 to financial year 2028-29. An outlay of ₹55,825 crore has been made for this initiative.Subhadra will transform the lives of more than one crore women of the State. It will cover all eligible women aged 21 years or above and less than 60 years.A total of ₹10,000 per annum will be paid in two installments of ₹5000 each on Rakhi Purnima Day and International Women’s Day (March 8).
3. DGCA fines Air India Rs 90 lakh for operating flight with unqualified crew: Civil aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has slapped a fine of ₹90 lakh on Air India for operating a flight on July 9 from Mumbai to Riyadh with an unqualified crew.Besides, the watchdog has slapped fines of Rs 6 lakh and Rs 3 lakh on Air India’s Director of Operations and Director of Training, respectively, for the lapse.Air India Ltd operated a flight commanded by a non-trainer line captain paired with a non-line-released first officer which has been viewed by the regulator as a serious scheduling incident having significant safety ramifications.
INTERNATIONAL UPDATES:
1. Nestlé CEO Mark Schneider steps down after 8 years; Laurent Freixe to take over: Nestle chief executive Mark Schneider quit from the Swiss food group after eight years in charge.He will be replaced by Latin America boss Laurent Freixe.Laurent Freixe joined Nestle in France in 1986 and has “successfully managed” the company’s European zone during the 2008 financial crisis and until 2014.After this he was named CEO of the Americas region before taking over at the newly created Latin America zone in 2022, “where he has been successfully leading through challenging conditions”.
2. India, Ukraine Sign Agreements to Strengthen Bilateral Ties: One of the key areas they focused on was defence. The leaders agreed to work together more closely on defence matters, including creating joint ventures to manufacture military equipment in India. This will help strengthen their strategic ties. Since the war in 2022, trade between India and Ukraine has decreased. To address this, Modi and Zelenskyy decided to task the India-Ukraine inter-governmental commission with revitalizing trade and bringing it back to the levels it was at before the conflict.
3. US Approves $52.8 Million Sonobuoy Sale to India: The purpose of this sale is to support stability in the region rather than disrupt it. It is designed to maintain the current military balance, ensuring that the region remains peaceful. The companies expected to be the main contractors for this sale are Sparton Corporation and Undersea Sensor Systems Inc. There haven’t been any reports about additional agreements, known as “offset agreements,” related to this deal. This proposed sale of anti-submarine warfare equipment to India is a significant step in boosting defence relations between the US and India. It reflects the shared interests of both countries in security and strategic cooperation, especially in a world where the geopolitical landscape is rapidly changing.
OTHER UPDATES:
DEFENCE
1. India, and Indonesia Condemn Cross-Border Terrorism From Pakistan: The meeting also addressed concerns about how terrorists are using new technologies. This includes the misuse of the internet for carrying out terrorist activities and funding their operations. India and Indonesia agreed on the importance of sharing information about terrorism threats and working together more closely in regional and global forums like the United Nations and the ASEAN Regional Forum to improve counter-terrorism efforts.
SPORTS
1. Ronak Dahiya wins Bronze in U-17 Wrestling Championship: Indian wrestler Ronak Dahiya won bronze medal in Men’s Greco-Roman 110 kilograms event at Under-17 World Wrestling Championship in Jordan.Dahiya defeated Turkish wrestler Emrullah Capkan 6-1 in the crucial medal match.With this, India has finished their campaign in Men’s Greco-Roman category with two Bronze medals in the championship as Sainath Pardhi also secured Bronze in GR 51 kilograms category.
2. Neeraj Chopra won silver in Lausanne Diamond League: Star Indian javelin throw athlete Neeraj Chopra registered a season-best throw of 89.49m at the Lausanne Diamond League 2024, in his first competitive appearance since he bagged silver for the nation at the Paris Olympics 2024.The 26-year-old was edged out by Grenada’s Anderson Peters, who claimed the top spot in Switzerland with a mammoth throw of 90.81m. Julian Weber of Germany came in third on the day with a best throw of 87.08m.The top six javelin throwers in the season’s standings qualify for the final in Belgium slated to be held on the 14th of September.
3. Shikhar Dhawan retires from all forms of Cricket: One of the finest One Day Internationals (ODI) batsmen in the world, Shikhar Dhawan has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. His last competitive match was for Punjab Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in April 2024. Shikhar Dhawan played 269 international matches in his cricketing career and scored 24 hundreds-17 in ODIs and 7 in test matches.His last game for India was an ODI against Bangladesh in December 2022.Shikhar Dhawan, nicknamed ‘Gabbar’ by his teammate, is a left-handed batsman who made his debut for India in an ODI Match against Australia in Visakhapatnam in 2010.He created a world record by scoring the fastest century by a debutant in a Test match, an 85-ball hundred against Australia in Mohali in the 2013 Test match.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
1. India Celebrates First National Space Day on August 23: As India looks ahead, there’s a lot of excitement about upcoming space missions, especially Gaganyaan, which is India’s plan to send humans into space in 2024. The government has a clear vision for the future, aiming to keep India at the forefront of space exploration. National Space Day is a time to remember India’s incredible achievements in space. It honors the scientists who have made these accomplishments possible and also serves as a reminder of the exciting future that lies ahead for India’s space program.
2. Polaris Dawn Aims for Historic Non-Government Spacewalk: During the mission, the crew will travel through the Van Allen Belts, which are two rings of charged particles surrounding Earth, held in place by Earth’s magnetic field. These belts are filled with radiation that can be harmful to astronauts. The inner belt contains high-energy particles from cosmic rays, while the outer belt has particles from the sun. Studying how this radiation affects humans is crucial for future space missions, especially those that will travel farther into space.
BANKING AND FINANCE
1. Bandhan Bank launches Avni Saving Account for Women Customer: Kolkata-based Indian Private sector bank Bandhan Bank has launched an exclusive savings account, Avni, for women customers.The bank launched the product on its 9th foundation day, which is on 23 August.The bank also launched a customer loyalty programme called Bandhan Banks Delight. The bank is women-focused, and of its 3.4 customers,73% are women.With the Avni account, customers receive an exclusive debit card that provides benefits like free airport lounge access, personal accident insurance coverage of ₹10 lakh, lost card liability coverage of ₹3.5 lakh, and special milestone-based offers from premium brands. Avni also offers discounts on annual locker rentals, gold loan processing fees, and beauty and wellness products.
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