In a special ceremony held in Kathmandu, President of Nepal, Ramchandra Paudel, presented the Hem Bahadur Malla Honour for the year 2079 BS to Dr. Bhesh Bahadur Thapa. The award, established in memory of Hem Bahadur Malla, a prominent administrator and founding chair of Salt Trading Corporation, was presented by the Nepal Public Administration Association.

The Hem Bahadur Malla Honour, which includes a cash prize of Rs 2 lakh, was instituted by the Nepal Public Administration Association with sponsorship from Salt Trading Corporation.

Dr. Thapa received this prestigious recognition for his remarkable contributions to Nepal’s socioeconomic, academic, and diplomatic fields over the past five decades. His illustrious career includes serving as a member secretary of the National Planning Commission, governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, and foreign minister.

Sweta Singh (Kathmandu)

Neeraj Chopra produced the second-best throw of his career -- 89.45m -- in a bid to retain the men's javelin Olympic gold in the big final in Paris, but it was not enough. Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem set a new Olympic record of 92.97m to walk away with the gold -- the first track and field gold medal for his country at the Games on Thursday, August 7.

Neeraj Chopra added an Olympic silver to his decorated trophy cabinet with the only legal attempt out of six throws. It was not one of his best competition days, yet, he won India its first silver medal at the Paris Olympics. The Tokyo Olympic champion became only the fifth Indian athlete to win multiple medals at the Olympics.

However, his thunder was stolen by Arshad Nadeem, the son of a construction worker, who showcased the power of the indomitable human spirit.

The Indian Economic Trade Organization in association with the India Africa Trade Council (IETC) organized the India Mauritius Trade Conference 2024 in Port Louis which was attended by the Business community in Mauritius. The President of Indian Economic Trade Organization Dr. Asif Iqbal welcomed the Ambassador of Mauritius in Russia His Excellency Keshwar Jankee and Hon. Adv. P. Krishnadas, Honorary Trade Commissioner of the Council for Mauritius and pledged the commitment of support between the two nations for a robust partnership. The conference saw the presence of many entrepreneurs from different parts of the country.

The motto of the India-Mauritius Conference was Promoting Investment and Growth in collaboration with the Mauritius business houses. The event was attended by around 70 participants representing public, business, educational and healthcare sectors in Mauritius.

The conference participants discussed with the Ambassador of Mauritius the issues and prospects of the bilateral economic cooperation, presented several interesting proposals aimed at jointly implementing them. In his remarks Mr. Jankee, Currently Ambassador to Russia talked about the historical roots of the traditional bilateral political relations and praised the positive environment there formed over the recent years, adding that the mutual visits of the foreign ministers of Mauritius and India have greatly contributed to it.

C&I-focused renewable energy company Fourth Partner Energy Ltd (FPEL) has secured a funding of $275 million from a consortium of World Bank’s International Financial Corporation (IFC), Asian Development Bank and the German Investment Corporation, DEG.

In a statement, the company said that the equity infusion would help FPEL’s business expansion plans and help it reach the target of 3.5 GW renewable energy asset portfolio by 2026. Out of the $275 million, IFC is investing $125 million, while ADB is infusing $100 million and Germany’s DEG is putting in $50 million to complete this round of fundraising.

In April, Mint reported that a consortium including IFC and ADB may invest around $250 million in the renewable energy company.

State-owned ESIC has conducted first in-house cadaver (deceased patient) organ retrieval at its hospital in Hyderabad, an official statement said on Wednesday.

The medical operation helped a patient save lives of three other patients, the Ministry of Labour & Employment said in a statement.

"On August 6, ESIC Super Specialty Hospital, Sanathnagar Hyderabad successfully conducted its first in-house cadaver (deceased patient) organ retrieval, marking a significant advancement in its medical services capabilities and commitment to saving lives," the ministry said.

India lifted the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Nations League final after beating hosts Nepal 3-2 at the Dashrath Stadium in Kathmandu. This victory marked India’s second title in the CAVA Women’s Volleyball Nations League. Despite losing to Nepal once in the league stage, India managed to secure the championship in the finals. The final match showcased the high level of competition and skill between the two teams. India clinched Gold, Nepal secured the silver medal and Iran settled with bronze in the tournament.

Indian wrestler Vinesh Phogat has announced her retirement from wrestling after a gruelling experience at the Paris Olympics that saw her being disqualified from the tournament after making the final.

Vinesh failed to make weight during the second weigh-in (on the day of the final) and was disqualified from the tournament, losing her assured medal too along the way.

The 29-year-old Vinesh had become the first Indian woman wrestler to reach an Olympic final in wrestling. Sakshi Malik, the only other woman wrestler to win an Olympic medal for India, had clinched a bronze medal at Rio 2016.

In a social media post in the wee hours of Thursday morning, Vinesh posted on her X account: “Mother wrestling, you’ve beaten me. Forgive me. My dreams are shattered. My courage is broken. I don’t have any more strength now.”

Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) has started its first executive training program for the aviation sector at the Asian Institute of Transport Development (AITD) at Dwaraka, New Delhi, since yesterday. The three-day program from August 5th to August 7th will be focused on "Safety Management Systems" for working professionals, it is conducted in collaboration with Airbus.

The program has received an enthusiastic response, attracting participants from leading airlines such as IndiGo, Vistara, as well as representatives from Airbus and the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Notably, the course is also being attended by international professionals, including four participants from Nepal and four from Bhutan. The instructors for the program are leading experts from the industry.

The course was inaugurated by Group Captain GVG Yugandhar Director General, Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Civil Aviation and Mr. Sunil Bhaskaran Director, Air India Aviation Academy in presence of GSV Vice-Chancellor Prof. Manoj Choudhary and Dean (Executive Education) Prof. Pradeep Garg.

Indian Navy’s frontline frigate, INS Tabar during the return leg from St Petersburg, Russia conducted a Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) with the German Navy off Kiel Canal on August 5, the Ministry of Defence said in a press release.

Prior to this, INS Tabar had visited Hamburg, Germany, from July 17 to 20, furthering the maritime relations between India and Germany. These engagements aim to strengthen the maritime partnership between the two nations.

“The conduct of the MPX between the Indian Navy and the German Navy off the Kiel Canal signifies the Indian Navy’s outreach and sustainability efforts, marking a significant milestone in maritime cooperation between the two countries,” the press release stated.

Reliance Industries secures the 86th spot on the 2024 Fortune Global 500 list, marking its highest rank among Indian firms. The list features nine Indian companies, with LIC at 95th and SBI at 178th. Globally, Walmart remains first, Amazon rises to second, and Saudi Aramco is the most profitable.

Reliance Industries Ltd, the oil-to-telecom-to-retail conglomerate, has ascended two spots to secure the 86th position on the Fortune Global 500 list for 2024, maintaining its status as the highest-ranked Indian firm. The company, which held the 88th position last year, has impressively advanced 69 places over the past three years, rising from 155th in 2021.

According to Fortune, Reliance has consistently featured on the 500 list for 21 years, reporting revenues of $108.8 billion and a profit of $8.4 billion last year. The 2024 ranking includes nine Indian firms, with five hailing from the public sector.