After a delay of more than six months, the Army is set to receive the first batch of three AH-64E Apache attack helicopters from Boeing in December.

While the Apaches are for the deserts, the Army is set to deploy the indigenous light combat helicopter (LCH), manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd., in Ladakh next year.

“The manufacturer has communicated that there have been manufacturing delays due to supply chain issues. The first batch of three Apaches is now set to be delivered in December and the next three few months after that,” a defence source said. As per the original schedule, three helicopters were supposed to be delivered in May and three in July.

The Bihar is set to launch a drive to cull 'Ghodparas', popularly known as 'Nilgai' (blue bulls) and wild boars in five districts where these animals have been causing widespread damage to crops. In a statement issued by the state's Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department, the government said the drive will be launched this month to deal with the Nilgai menace which causes a huge loss to the farmers.

The decision was taken at a review meeting chaired by state Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Prem Kumar on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the cull drive will be conducted in the most affected districts - Vaishali, East Champaran, Buxar, Siwan and Samastipur - as per the "laid down procedures".

"Officials concerned shall be empowered to cull up to 50 such animals at a time in districts where the problem is grave," it added.

India will open their campaign in the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 on October 4 in Dubai against New Zealand and then take on arch-rivals Pakistan at the same venue on October 6. India’s third match is scheduled to take place on October 9 against Sri Lanka in Dubai again, and the Women in Blue will finish the group stage with a high-voltage match against defending champions Australia in Sharjah on October 13.

The upcoming edition of the Women’s T20 World Cup was scheduled to take place in Bangladesh, but it was shifted to the United Arab Emirates a couple of weeks ago.

The two semifinals of the tournament will be played in Dubai and Sharjah on October 17 and 18, and the final will take place on October 20 in Dubai.

India's newest airline, Shankh Air, has been approved by the Civil Aviation Ministry to operate in the country. However, it still needs clearance from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) before it can officially start flying.

Shankh Air, soon to be Uttar Pradesh's first scheduled airline, will operate from hubs in Lucknow and Noida. The airline plans to connect major cities across India, focusing on routes with high demand and limited direct flight options, offering both interstate and intrastate services.

"The company is further directed to comply with relevant provisions regulations of FDI, SEBl etc as well as other applicable rules & regulations in this regard," the letter of approval from aviation ministry read.

The No Objection Certificate (NOC) to operate will be valid for three years. Shankh Air's launch is expected to improve connectivity in regions with limited flight options, boosting regional mobility across India.

Indian duo Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan and Vijay Sundar Prashanth won the Hangzhou Open 2024 title after beating German pair Constantin Frantzen and Hendrik Jebens in the men’s doubles final in China on Tuesday.

The pair defeated the German pair 4-6, 7-6, [10-7] in the men’s doubles final. It conceded the first set to the Germans before fighting its way back into the match to go all the way.

“I’d like to thank Hangzhou, and Vijay Sundar. This is our first year as a doubles pair and we have a ATP 250 title. It feels surreal,” Jeevan said during the presentation ceremony.

Apraava Energy on Tuesday said it has secured a new interstate transmission project in Rajasthan.

The project has been secured through tariff-based competitive bidding (TBCB) undertaken by the central government, the company said in a statement.

Apraava Energy did not disclose the financial details of the project.

India-led Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) on Monday announced a $2.5 million fund to support cities to improve awareness, enhance planning, build financial resources, and integrate resilience into infrastructure operations to mark its fifth foundation day.

Cities in 30 low and middle-income countries including India will be eligible for funding under this urban infrastructure resilience programme (UIRP) via international organisations, multilateral and bilateral cooperation agencies, NGOs, or the United Nations.

CDRI said this fund will respond to the demand of member countries for technical assistance to ensure their investments are aligned towards disaster and climate resilience of new and existing infrastructure. “This will result in avoiding asset loss, reducing spending on repair and minimising disruption of critical services. Additionally, it will support economic growth and social development through enhanced service resilience; reduced carbon emissions resulting in improved biodiversity, cleaner air, and water,” a CDRI document said.

All India Institute of Medical Sciences Delhi and Intuitive, a biotechnology company known for robotic-assisted surgical systems have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish an innovative new training centre for robotic-assisted surgery.

The centre will provide comprehensive technology training on Intuitive's advanced da Vinci systems for surgeons and care teams across a broad range of specialities.

This will be Intuitive's fourth RAS training centre in India and its first in a government medical college.

The AIIMS da Vinci RAS training centre will focus on equipping surgeons and care teams with the skills and technology training necessary to perform robotic-assisted surgery across specialities including urology, gynaecology, general surgery and more. This industry-academia collaboration will advance the adoption of robotic-assisted surgery in India by providing state-of-the-art technology training for more surgeons.

The preparation review meeting for the International Film Festival 2024 was held by Sanjay Jaju, Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in Panaji today. Chief Secretary of Goa Shri Punit Goyal, IFFI Director Shekhar Kapoor, NFDC, Entertainment Society of Goa, and others were present at the meeting. Later, they met the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant. IFFI is to be held between the 20th and 28th of November in Goa, which will be the 55th edition of this festival.

India’s economy remains on a positive trajectory despite ongoing fluctuations. Global ratings agency S&P has upheld its forecast for India’s economic growth at 6.8% for the current fiscal year 2024-25. The agency is also hopeful that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will begin lowering interest rates in its upcoming monetary policy review scheduled for October.

Growth Projections for 2025-26 Remain Steady at 6.9%
In its latest Asia-Pacific economic outlook report, S&P Global Ratings maintained its growth forecast for India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at 6.8% for 2024-25. It also kept its forecast of 6.9% for the next fiscal year, 2025-26. The agency noted that India’s strong economic performance will enable the RBI to continue its efforts in managing inflation in accordance with its targets.

Rate Cuts Expected Soon
S&P has suggested that the RBI might begin reducing interest rates during its October Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) review. Just a week ago, S&P reiterated that India is on course to become the world’s third-largest economy by fiscal year 2030-31. S&P is one of the top three credit rating agencies globally, alongside Moody’s and Fitch Ratings.

The RBI had earlier projected India’s growth rate at 7.2% for the current fiscal year