The General Body of the International Esports Federation (IESF) has elected Lokesh Suji, director, the Esports Federation of India (ESFI) and vice-president, the Asian Esports Federation (AESF), to its membership committee on a three-year term. The election marks the first time that an Indian has become a part of the membership committee of the International Esports Federation.

“Under Lokesh’s leadership, ESFI has not only significantly contributed to raising Esports to a multi-sport status in India, but the nation has also achieved remarkable milestones on the global stage. His vision for promoting democratic and transparent processes seamlessly aligns with ours, making him an invaluable asset for propelling the growth of the IESF family. Lokesh epitomises the essence of Indian culture, reflecting the philosophy of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (World is one family)’, which celebrates a world without boundaries and envisions global unity as one harmonious family,” Vlad Marinescu, president, IESF, said.

The second edition of Naval Commanders' Conference, 2023 will begin today in New Delhi. The conference is the apex-level biannual event facilitating interaction between the Naval Commanders for deliberation and formulation of important policy decisions. During the three-day Conference, being conducted in a Hybrid format, the senior leadership of the Indian Navy will review major operational, materiel, logistics, training, and administrative activities undertaken during the previous six months.

The Conference will provide an opportunity for institutionalised interaction of Naval Commanders with senior Government officials to take ahead several inter-ministerial initiatives toward the development of a safe and secure maritime environment. The Commanders will also review the ongoing Naval projects with a focus on enhancing indigenisation through Make in India in consonance with the vision of achieving self-reliance by 2047.

Emirati astronaut Sultan AlNeyadi succeeded in achieving qualitative and historical achievements, which consolidated the UAE’s regional and global position as the first Arab country to complete the longest space mission in the history of the Arabs, which lasted for six months on the International Space Station (ISS), and included conducting pioneering scientific experiments that contribute to serving humanity and the scientific community.

The preparation is in full swing in the national capital to host the G-20 Summit on Saturday and Sunday. From government agencies and civic bodies to security establishments, no stone is being left unturned to make this global event a historic one. The city is turning colorful with murals, and graffiti on the walls, statues, and fountains in different areas, a dedicated park featuring sculptures of member states’ national animals, and monuments being lit up with facade light. Special arrangements are also being made at the airport for the delegates. 

President Droupadi Murmu today unveiled a 12  feet high statue of the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi and a 'Gandhi Vatika' at Gandhi Darshan near Rajghat in New Delhi. To enhance the visitor experience, a selfie point has been established within Gandhi Vatika. The Gandhi Vatika features multiple statues of Mahatma Gandhi depicting him in various postures.  Speaking on the occasion, the President said that Mahatma Gandhi's ideals and values have given a new direction to the whole world. She highlighted that   Mahatma Gandhi showed the path of non-violence at a time when the world was suffering from many kinds of hatred and discord during the period of world wars. She added that his experiment with truth and non-violence gave him the status of a great human. She shared that his statues are installed in many countries and people from across the world believe in his ideals.  She also emphasized that by following the path shown by him, the goal of world peace can be achieved.

One97 Communications Limited (OCL) that owns the brand Paytm,on MOnday announced the launch of Card Soundbox.The company in a statement said that empowers merchants to accept both mobile and card payments across all Visa, Mastercard, American Express and RuPay networks through its iconic Soundbox with ‘tap and pay’ that will help merchants scale their business.

IGP, the renowned online multi-category gifting platform, has successfully achieved a groundbreaking milestone this Rakshabandhan by setting a new Guinness World Records for the longest chain of bracelets made by Rakhis tied together around the map of India. This remarkable feat, which draws its inspiration from our pledge that says "All Indians are our brothers and sisters", is a testament to IGP's commitment to fostering unity and celebrating the spirit of Rakshabandhan.

Shares of Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd will be in focus on Monday after MD and CEO Uday Kotak resigned effective September 1, four months ahead of schedule. A founding member of the bank, Kotak is a part of the private bank for the past 38 years. He will continue to serve as a non-executive director of the bank.

Motilal Oswal Securities said Kotak's contribution was pivotal in guiding the bank through its transition from being an NBFC to obtaining a banking license in 2003 and evolving as one of the most successful and reputed financial organisations in the country. "Under Mr. Kotak’s leadership, the bank became the fourth-largest private bank and established a prominent presence across the financial services spectrum, including asset management, broking, investment banking, life insurance, etc," the brokerage said.

CM Naveen Patnaik expressed grief over the demise of Patro and described him as an able administrator and a good organiser

Former speaker of the Odisha Assembly Surjya Narayan Patro passed away on Saturday evening hours after he was admitted to a private hospital in Bhubabeshwar in a critical condition. He was 74.

In Hockey, India beat Pakistan in penalty shootout in the final to win the inaugural Men’s Hockey 5s Asia Cup 2023 in Salalah, Oman, yesterday. The win also served as Asia’s qualifying tournament for the FIH Men’s Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024. Subsequently, India qualified for the FIH Men’s Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024. This is the first time in three meetings that India have beaten Pakistan in the Hockey 5s format. From 2-4 down in the second half, India took the game to the shootout after two goals from Mohammed Raheel. In the shootout, Pakistan missed all their chances while Maninder Singh hit the hammer in the coffin to score India's second goal in the shootout. Earlier in the evening, India thrashed Malaysia 10-4 in the semifinals.  Pakistan reached the final after defeating Oman 7-3.For their remarkable performance and the important win, Hockey India announced Rupees Two Lakh to each player of the team, while Rupees One Lakh each for the support staff. Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey congratulated the team on qualifying for the FIH Men's Hockey5s World Cup Oman 2024 and winning the Gold medal.