The ‘Hem Bahadur Malla Award 2080’, has been conferred on former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha. The award was established in honour of the founder of Salt Trading Corporation, the late Hem Bahadur Malla. Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut handed over the award to Shrestha at an event organised jointly by the Nepal Public Administration Association and the Corporation in Kathmandu on Thursday.

The award was conferred on former Chief Justice Shrestha in recognition of his contributions to judicial leadership and institutional development. The prize carries a purse of Rs 200,000 along with a certificate of honour. Shrestha had served as the 25th Chief Justice. He played vital roles in transitional justice, inclusive democracy and environmental justice.

Shrestha was recommended by the selection committee chaired by former Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Umesh Mainali. On the occasion, Chief Justice Raut mentioned that Shrestha had remained a towering figure of entire judicial history of Nepal. Shrestha expressed worry over growing difficulty to establish good governance in the country owing to underperformance of State agencies.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the National Cadet Corps, NCC, as a platform that serves as an ideal for the youth of the country. He referred to former NCC cadets as strong pillars of the nation, who are contributing to its development in diverse fields, not just passively, but as active drivers. The Defence Minister today chaired the first Governing Council meeting of the National Cadet Corps Alumni Association (NCCAA) in New Delhi. He expressed confidence that the NCCAA will infuse new energy and direction into the NCC. The NCCAA is a flagship association of NCC alumni that aims to carry forward the legacy of the world’s largest uniformed youth organisation by bringing together former and current cadets under one umbrella and enhancing their participation in nation-building.

taly have qualified for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup for the first time in their history, scripting a landmark moment despite a defeat to the Netherlands in their final qualifier. The side edged out Jersey on net run rate to seal their spot in the tournament, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka next year.

Jersey pulled off a stunning upset by beating Scotland in their final game, but it wasn’t enough to overturn the NRR deficit. Italy’s consistency across the tournament proved decisive, as they held firm in the qualification race and secured a historic berth on cricket’s biggest T20 stage.

The government is planning to roll out a 1,345 crore rupees subsidy scheme to promote the production of rare earth magnets in the country. Inter-ministerial consultations are underway in this regard. This was informed by Secretary in Ministry of Heavy Industry, Kamran Rizvi during a function in New Delhi. He added that the scheme will provide end-to-end support for the conversion of rare earth oxides into magnets. The subsidy will facilitate investment for establishing processing facilities for companies to convert rare earth oxides into magnets. The proposed scheme comes in the wake of China restricting exports of rare earth magnets, that has hit global supplies, impacting EV makers. 

Amid high reliability in India’s homegrown air-defence system during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Friday successfully conducted twin flight tests of beyond visual range air-to-air missile (BVRAAM) Astra from the frontline fighter aircraft Sukhoi 30 MK-I off Odisha coast.

Equipped with indigenous radio frequency (RF) seeker, which is a critical component of the missile’s guidance system, the indigenously developed missile was test-fired twice against high-speed unmanned aerial targets at different ranges and launch conditions. The missiles destroyed the targets with pin-point accuracy in both the cases, defence sources said.

Maratha Military Landscapes of India has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming India’s 44th property to receive this recognition.

This global accolade celebrates India’s enduring cultural legacy, showcasing its diverse traditions of architectural brilliance, regional identity, and historical continuity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis lauded the historic milestone and congratulated the people of India for this achievement. This decision was taken at the 47th Session of the World Heritage Committee.

Spanning from the 17th to 19th centuries CE, Maratha Military Landscapes of India is an extraordinary network of twelve forts that demonstrates the strategic military vision and architectural ingenuity of the Maratha Empire.

The Union environment ministry has issued a notification to extend the validity of infrastructure projects cleared under the Islands Protection Zone (IPZ) notification 2011 that applies to areas in the Andaman and Nicobar islands as well as Lakshadweep, while also making way for splitting or transfer of IPZ clearances among entities.

The notification issued on July 4 states that the clearance accorded to projects under this notification will be valid for 10 years. The period may be extended by a maximum period of a year, if an application is made during the validity of the clearance along with the recommendation of the Coastal Zone Management Authority concerned. The notification states that the objective of the amendment is to make the validity of make the validity of IPZ clearances in IPZ 2011 uniform with provisions of the environment impact assessment notification 2006 that is implemented across the country.

To increase awareness of global population issues, World Population Day is observed annually on July 11. People from all over the world gather on this day to talk about and solve the problems brought on by the growing population. India, the world's second most populous nation, is important to this discussion. Analysing population growth in India's various states, determining which is the most populated, and determining the causes of this growth are crucial as 2025 draws near.

The United Nations predicts that by 2030, India will have 1.5 billion people, making it the world's most populous nation. India is home to more than 1.3 billion people, representing a diverse population with a wide range of customs, languages, and cultures. The population distribution among its states also reflects this diversity.

The northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is home to the nation's largest population. With an estimated 230 million people, Uttar Pradesh is more populated than many nations worldwide, according to recent estimates.

In Dubai, your dinner might soon come with a side of source code.

WOOHOO, a restaurant that bills itself as “dining in the future”, is set to open in September in central Dubai, a stone’s throw from the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa.

Food at WOOHOO will be assembled by humans, for now, but everything else – from the menu to ambience to service – will be designed by a culinary large-language-model called “Chef Aiman.”

Aiman – a portmanteau of “AI” and “man” – is trained on decades of food science research, molecular composition data and over a thousand recipes from cooking traditions around the world, said Ahmet Oytun Cakir, one of WOOHOO’s founders.

In a major push towards empowering tribal students, the National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has unveiled a series of initiatives to enhance education, life skills, and employability for students studying in Eklavya Model Residential Schools (EMRSs) across the country.

On July 9, NESTS signed landmark agreements with UNICEF India, Tata Motors Limited, and the Ex-Navodayan Foundation to roll out programmes that will support over 1.3 lakh tribal students in their academic and professional journeys.

At the centre of these efforts is TALASH (Tribal Aptitude, Life Skills and Self-Esteem Hub), an innovative national platform launched in partnership with UNICEF. TALASH aims to strengthen both academic learning and personal development by helping students discover their strengths, build essential life skills, and plan clear career pathways.