The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on August 9 gave its approval for 8 railway projects worth Rs 24,657 crore, bolstering development process in aspirational and tribal-dominated districts, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said during a press briefing.

Out of these 8 projects, three will be developed in Odisha's southern and western regions, the minister said.

Moreover, the these projects will cover 14 districts across seven states- Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana and West Bengal- and increase the existing network of Railways by around 900 km, the minister said.

The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Wednesday approved the Maharashtra Logistics Policy 2024, which aims to generate around ₹30,573 crore in revenue over the next five years. Formulated based on recommendations from the State Economic Advisory Council, this policy envisions substantial growth over the next decade and is expected to create approximately 5,00,000 direct and indirect jobs.

The policy focuses on reducing logistics costs by 4-5 per cent from the current 14-15 per cent, minimising logistics time, implementing green initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, and utilising technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence, and intelligent logistics management systems.

It also aims to promote green logistics parks, sustainable design, and modal shifts, while attracting domestic and foreign investment to establish Maharashtra as a global logistics hub.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that it was a proud moment for the people of the country as President Droupadi Murmu was honoured with the Grand Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, and said that this reflects the strong ties and mutual respect between the two nations.

President Droupadi Murmu was conferred with the Grand-Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the country’s highest civilian award on Saturday. The award is in recognition of her achievements in public service and dedication to education, social welfare and empowerment of women
PM Modi posted on X, on Sunday, emphasising that the award is also a recognition of her monumental contribution to public life for several years.

“It is a proud moment for us to see Rashtrapati Ji being honoured with the Grand-Collar of the Order of Timor-Leste, the nation’s highest civilian award. This reflects the strong ties and mutual respect between our countries. It is also a recognition of her monumental contribution to public life for several years,” PM Modi said on X.

With its tiger population plunging in recent years, Chhattisgarh Wednesday cleared a long-pending proposal to notify a new tiger reserve – the third largest in the country.

The Guru Ghasidas-Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, which integrates an existing national park with a wildlife sanctuary, is Chhattisgarh’s fourth reserve for the big cats. It spans 2,829 square kilometres across four northern districts of the state.

The decision comes after the Chhattisgarh High Court, while hearing a PIL on July 15, granted four weeks to the state government to clear its stand on declaring that area a tiger reserve.

Three underwater geographical structures located in the Indian Ocean have been awarded names proposed by India.

Named after the rulers of the Mauryan dynasty are the Ashoka seamount and the Chandragupt ridge. Kalpataru ridge is the third structure for which the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) and UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) have recently awarded names originally proposed by India.

In all, there are now seven structures in the Indian Ocean named mainly after Indian scientists or bear names proposed by India in this region of the Indian Ocean.

All the three recently named structures were discovered by oceanographers from the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Goa. These are located along the Southwest Indian Ridge area of the Indian Ocean and were discovered during an international survey exploration programme.

Since 2004, India has been undertaking the Indian Southern Ocean Research Programme with NCPOR being the nodal agency. These sea explorations aim at studying the bio-geochemistry, biodiversity, lower atmospheric processes, paleoclimate, hydrodynamics, air-sea interactions among a host of other research areas.

Washington will provide Israel $3.5 billion to spend on US weapons and military equipment, the State Department said on Friday, with the release of the money coming months after the US Congress appropriated it during Israel's war in Gaza.

A State Department spokesperson said on Friday that the department notified Congress on Thursday that the government intended to release the billions of dollars worth of foreign military financing to Israel.

CNN reported earlier on the release of this amount which comes from a $14 billion supplemental funding bill for Israel passed by the Congress in April.

Odisha government on Thursday piloted a Grain ATM in the city, the first-of-its-kind in the state, to dispense ration through automated teller machines to beneficiaries covered under the national food security programme.

Minister of Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Krushna Chandra Patra unveiled the Grain ATM at Mancheswar set up under the Annapurti initiative of the central government in collaboration with World Food Programme (WFP), in presence of Deputy Country Director, WFP Nozomi Hashimoto.

“This is a significant initiative in partnership with the WFP to achieve nutritional security in the state. The ATMs will be set up across Odisha to provide foodgrains to beneficiaries with 24/7 access under the National Food Security Act,” the minister said.

With an aim to make significant changes to key banking regulations, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Banking Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024 in the Lok Sabha during the Parliament session on Friday.

1) The bill aims to increase the option for nominees per bank account to four from the existing one, among others.

2) Another amendment involves redefining 'substantial interest' for directorships, potentially raising the threshold from the current ₹5 lakh, set nearly 60 years ago, to ₹2 crore.

3) In addition, the Bill aims to give banks more flexibility in determining the pay for statutory auditors.

4) It also proposes changing the regulatory reporting dates for banks to the 15th and last day of each month, replacing the current second and fourth Fridays.

5) Approved by the Union Cabinet last Friday, the Bill seeks to amend several laws, including the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934, the Banking Regulation Act, 1949, the State Bank of India Act, 1955, and the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Acts of 1970 and 1980.

Lions are commonly known as the 'king of the jungle,' yet they face significant threats in the wild, including habitat loss from deforestation, poaching, human-wildlife conflict, climate change, and the decline of their natural prey. World Lion Day, observed annually, aims to raise awareness about these conservation issues and promote efforts to protect lions. The day provides an opportunity to educate people about the challenges lions face and to celebrate their vital role in ecosystems and cultural heritage worldwide.

A typical lion pride consists of related females, their offspring, and a few adult males. Male lions are larger than females, weighing between 150-250 kg (330-550 lbs), while females weigh between 120-182 kg (265-400 lbs). Male lions are distinguished by their impressive manes, which can range in colour from blonde to black and serve both protective and signalling functions. The lion's coat colour varies from light buff to silvery grey, yellowish-red, and dark brown. In the wild, lions live for about 10–14 years, though they can live over 20 years in captivity.

Following the Indian men’s hockey team’s historic bronze medal victory at the 2024 Paris Olympics, several cash rewards have been announced for the players and support staff.

Hockey India’s Reward

Hockey India has announced a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh for each player of the Indian men’s hockey team and Rs 7.5 lakh for each member of the support staff in honor of their bronze medal triumph.

Odisha CM’s Announcement

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi also extended his congratulations to the team by announcing a separate reward of Rs 15 lakh for each player in the squad. Additionally, at a press conference, CM Majhi revealed a reward of Rs 10 lakh for the support staff. Amit Rohidas, a key player from Odisha, will receive a special reward of Rs 4 crore for his outstanding contribution to the team’s success.

Punjab CM’s Announcement

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that his government would award a cash prize of Rs 1 crore to each hockey player from the state who was part of the Indian men’s team that secured the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.