The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday (October 3, 2024) approved a USD 162 million loan to support tourism development projects in Himachal Pradesh.

ADB, Senior Project Officer, Vivek Vishal said this project will enhance the state's tourism potential by upgrading and preserving heritage and cultural sites, establishing new facilities, and strengthening the tourism sector.

ADB has approved a USD 162 million loan to support sustainable and inclusive tourism development projects in Himachal Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced that the road in front of the Jamaica High Commission in New Delhi has been named ‘Jamaica Marg’, highlighting strong India-Jamaica ties.

During a joint press conference with Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness, PM Modi expressed confidence that the relationship between the two nations will strengthen rapidly. He said, “We have decided to name the road in front of the Jamaica High Commission in Delhi as ‘Jamaica Marg’. India and Jamaica may be separated by vast oceans, but our people, our culture, and our history are connected.”

Drawing a lighthearted comparison, PM Modi said he was optimistic that the bond between India and Jamaica would grow “faster than Usain Bolt”.

In tennis, second-seeded Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz beat defending champion and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, winning 6-7 6-4 7-6 to claim his first China Open title.

Meanwhile, China’s Zheng Qinwen stormed into the quarterfinals of the women’s singles after defeating Amanda Anisimova of the United States. Aryna Sabalenka secured her place in the quarterfinals by overcoming Madison Keys of the United States. Sabalenka will face the Czech Republic’s Karolina Muchova.

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved India’s decision to join the International Energy Efficiency Hub by signing a Letter of Intent. This strategic move aligns with India’s commitment to advancing sustainable development and reducing greenhouse gas emissions through global cooperation.

The International Energy Efficiency Hub (Hub) was established in 2020 as the successor to the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Cooperation (IPEEC), in which India had previously participated. The Hub brings together governments, international organizations, and private sector entities to collaborate on promoting energy efficiency across the globe.

With India’s inclusion, the Hub now comprises 16 members, including countries like the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and Germany, and the European Commission. As a member, India will gain access to a wide network of global experts, resources, and best practices that can bolster its own energy efficiency initiatives.

India, Nepal, and Bangladesh on Thursday signed a trilateral agreement to export 40 Megawatts of electricity from Nepal to Bangladesh via India's power grid, a development hailed and welcomed by officials of all three nations involved.

The tripartite agreement signed in Kathmandu now enables Nepal to sell electricity to a third country for the first time. Nepal has only been exporting electricity to India, its southern neighbour.

"This achievement is the result of the convenience of our persistent efforts since 2018 when Nepal and Bangladesh signed a MoU on power sector cooperation and following six successful meetings of the joint working group and joint steering committee," Deepak Khadka, Nepal Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation said.

The Narendra Modi Cabinet approved the conferral of classical language status to five languages: Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali, as a part of government's ongoing efforts to promote and preserve India's rich linguistic heritage.

"PM Modi has always focused on Indian languages. Today, five languages—Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese, and Bengali—have been approved as classical languages," Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said highlighting the significance of this initiative.

With this latest approval, the total number of recognised classical languages in India has now increased to 11. Previously, Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Odia had already received classical language status.

International Film Festival and Forum on Environment and Wildlife, Vatavaran Was inaugurated today at Paryavaran Bhawan in New Delhi. The theme for the three-day film festival is “Wetlands for Life”, focusing on the awareness and conservation of the wetlands eco-system. Speaking at the event, the Director General of Forest in the Ministry of Environment, Jitendra Kumar highlighted that wetlands are very important to India due to their ecological and economic benefits. He added that around 6 per cent of Indians are directly dependent on Wetlands for livelihood, which makes their conservation even more vital. Mr Kumar has hoped that the film festival can host discussions on meaningful issues and formulate conservation strategies.

Talking to the media, the Climate and Environment Head of the Department at the German Embassy to India, Taina Dyckhoff said the bilateral cooperation between India and Germany has been very successful in Environment and Wetlands conservation. She said that film is an impactful tool to discuss such issues with the public.

In a move aimed at safeguarding small investors and enhancing market stability, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has unveiled a series of new measures to strengthen the index derivatives framework.

With the introduction of these rules, the landscape of equity derivatives trading in India is set to undergo notable changes, particularly for retail participants.

Here's a comprehensive look at the key changes and what they mean for investors.

Kho Kho Federation of India (KKFI) and the International Kho Kho Federation have announced that the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup will take place in India in 2025. The event will witness the participation of 24 countries from 6 continents and will feature 16 men’s and as many as women’s teams.

Ahead of the World Cup, the KKFI plans to take the sport to 200 schools across 10 cities to promote the sport. The federation will also run a membership drive for the school students with the aim of registering at least 50 lakh players ahead of the mega tournament. The tournament will feature a week-long series of matches, with top-tier athletes from across the globe.

The Kho Kho World Cup aims to elevate this indigenous Indian sport to an international stage. Kho Kho has its roots in India, and the World Cup will highlight the rich cultural heritage and competitive spirit of the sport. The sport that started in the mud and now gone to the mat has a global presence with 54 countries playing the sport across the world.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced on Wednesday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is banned from entering the country. This decision follows Guterres’s failure to unequivocally condemn Iran’s recent missile attack on Israel.

On Tuesday, Iran launched over 180 ballistic missiles at Israel amid rising tensions with its proxy, Hezbollah. While many of these missiles were intercepted, some breached Israel’s missile defenses, although no casualties were reported.

Guterres had issued a statement that only referred to the “latest attacks in the Middle East” and condemned the ongoing conflict without specifically addressing Iran’s actions.