Project Wing, which is part of Google’s parent company Alphabet is getting ready to introduce the world’s first drone delivery service in Australia’s capital Canberra after it received approval from Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) on Tuesday.

For the past 18 months, Project Wing has been doing trials for delivering food and drinks, medication and chocolate, The Guardian reported.

The Australian aviation watchdog said it had signed off on the scheme. The report quotes CASA spokesman Peter Gibson as saying that “safety of the drones, traffic management system, maintenance, drone pilot training and operational plans have been examined.”

The drone delivery service is expected to start with 100 eligible homes in the suburbs of Crace, Palmerston and Franklin in the coming weeks, before expanding into Harrison and Gungahlin, the report adds.

India is projected to grow at 7.3 per cent in 2019 and 7.5 per cent in 2020, supported by the continued recovery of investment and robust consumption, thus remaining the fastest growing major economy of the world, according to the IMF.

In 2018, India's growth rate was 7.1 per cent, as against China's 6.6 per cent. In 2019, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected a growth rate of 6.3 per cent for China and 6.1 per cent in 2020, according to the latest World Economic Outlook projections released ahead of the annual spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

SUN Group Chairman Vikramjit Singh Sahney Monday elected as the new president of International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) - India.

He said the chamber would work with the government to promote India's external trade.

"We will pro-actively support initiatives of government to promote India-US trade and reducing trade deficit with China," Sahney said at the annual general meeting of ICC India.

He added that ICC was founded in the aftermath of first world war when no world system of rules covered trade, investment, finances and commercial relations.

"To mark our centenary, ICC will host a mega summit in Paris during May featuring leaders from business, government and international organisations to discuss pressing global challenges and role of business in 21st century," he added.

The State Bank of India has re-priced home loans up to Rs 30 lakh by 10  basis points. 

Accordingly, the interest rate on housing loans of such size will now be in the range of 8.6 to 8.9 per cent. 

The bank has also lowered its lending rates by a nominal five basis points across all tenors. 

In a statement, the SBI said the new one-year marginal cost of funds-based lending rate is down to 8.50 per cent now from 8.55 per cent. This is the first reduction by SBI in over 17 months. 

The reduction in lending rate by the bank follows a 50 basis point cut in repo rate by the RBI in the course of two monetary policy reviews held in February and April this year. 

Maldives foreign minister Abdulla Shahid has said that the friendship between India and Maldives has reached new heights since Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the swearing in of President Solih. 

In an interview to AIR correspondent, he said that development cooperation agenda is being implemented at quick pace. Mr. Shahid said that his government’s promise for people-oriented projects like water and sewage facilities, are being implemented with generous assistance from the Government of India. 

The Indian government had announced a 1.4 billion US dollars assistance to Maldives and details of projects are being formulated. Maldives requested for assistance in construction of a cricket stadium during the recent visit to Male of External affairs minister and the details are being worked out. 

Mr. Shahid also said that there is a very fruitful defence cooperation between the two countries. 

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is celebrating its 54th Valour Day today. On this day in 1965 a small contingent of 2nd Battalion of CRPF, successfully fought and repulsed an attack by a Pakistani Brigade on Sardar Post in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. They eliminated 34 Pakistani soldiers and captured four soldiers alive. 

In this conflict, six valiant CRPF men attained martyrdom. As a tribute to the brave personnel of the Force, 9th April is celebrated as Valour Day in the Force. Never in the history of military battles have a handful of policemen fought back a full - fledged infantry Brigade in such a manner. 

On the Occasion, President Ram Nath Kovind paid homage to the martyrs of police at National Police Memorial in New Delhi.

The Ordnance Factory Board (OFB) Monday handed over six indigenously built Dhanush artillery guns to the Army in a ceremony held at the Gun Carriage Factory. The OFB handed over six Dhanush guns to the Army in the first phase. It is the first lot of the 114-piece order.

Dhanush is the first indigenously built 155 mm x 45 calibre long-range artillery gun with strike range of 38 kilometres. The indigenisation to the extent of 81 per cent of the artillery guns has already been achieved. By the end of 2019, indigenisation will go up to 91 per cent, a press release read. The guns are now inducted in the Indian Army and is said to increase the Fire Power of the Indian Artillery manifold.

The OFB recently received a bulk production clearance from the Army and the Defence Ministry for 114 Dhanush artillery guns. “The weight of the gun is under 13 tonnes, making it easy to mobilise in hilly terrain and remote areas. It is a versatile weapon that can operate in all climatic conditions,” PTI quoted OFB chairman Saurabh Kumar as saying.

Australian Graham Reid’s appointment as the men’s national team chief coach till the end of 2020 was ratified on Monday after Hockey India received necessary clearance from the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Reid’s appointment was more or less certain after Hockey India recommended his name to the SAI last month.

It has been learnt that Reid has been handed a term till the end of next year but his tenure can be extended till 2022 FIH World Cup depending upon his performance.

According to a Hockey India official, Reid is expected to draw a salary of USD 15,000 per month and will be shifting base to Bengaluru with his family.

Korean Air’s chairman, whose leadership included scandals such as his daughter’s infamous incident of “nut rage,” has died due to illness, the company said Monday.

Cho Yang-ho had been indicted on multiple charges, including embezzlement and tax evasion, and his death came less than two weeks after a shareholder vote to remove the 70-year-old from the company’s board over a series of scandals surrounding the ruling family.

The company said Cho died in the United States but did not specify his illness or provide other details in its statement on his death. Cho had remained chairman, which is a non-board role, even after shareholders ousted him from the board. He had expressed his intent to continue participating in management.

Every time the green-yellow garbage van approaches the Anuradha Nagar slums on the outskirts of Indore, 10-year-old Jeetu Goswami runs through the narrow lanes, a half-broken bucket and a tub in his hands. “Sukha kachra isme hai (Dry waste is here),” he says, pointing to the bucket.

Starting 7 am every day, Bollywood singer Shaan’s voice booms through the van’s loudspeaker — ‘Indore hua hai number one, Indore rahega number one’ — as ragpickers in the slum empty their buckets in the truck’s separate compartments for wet and dry waste. “Earlier I used to throw it in the drain. Now someone wants to clean even a ragpicker’s house,” says Bablu Giri, pointing to his prized investment — two dustbins worth Rs 50 each.

In 2019, Indore struck a hat-trick for the cleanest city under the Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM). For Indore Municipal Corporation’s (IMC) zonal in-charge Monesh Gawade, nothing illustrates the success better than the change in attitude of the slum and its children. “If their parents are not around, these children come to throw dry and wet waste,” he says.