NATIONAL
-
PM Modi emphasises ‘shared consciousness of heritage’ at World Heritage Committee session
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 21 said that moving ahead with a vision of “development as well as heritage”, India was committed to promoting global cooperation and engaging local communities in heritage conservation efforts.
- “It is India’s clarion call to the world to come together to promote each others’ heritage and amplify the spirit of human welfare,” Mr. Modi said, inaugurating the 46th session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in the national capital.
-
Sikkim mandates garbage bags for tourists to ensure environmental sustainability
- All tourist vehicles entering Sikkim will now have to mandatorily carry a large garbage bag, according to an official order.The decision has been taken to ensure community participation towards achieving the goal of environmental sustainability, said the order issued by the Tourism and Civil Aviation Department.
- It will be the responsibility of the tour operators, travel agencies and vehicle drivers to inform the traveller about the use of garbage bags for waste disposal, it said.
INTERNATIONAL
-
Next-generation US jet fighter program may get hit by budget woes
- The U.S. Air Force's ambitious next-generation fighter jet program, envisioned as a revolutionary leap in technology, could become less ambitious as budget pressure, competing priorities and changing goals compel a rethink, defense officials and industry executives said.Initially conceived as a "family of systems" centered around a sixth-generation fighter jet, the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is meant to replace the F-22 Raptor and give the United States the most powerful weaponry in the sky well into the mid-21st century.
- When it was first proposed, expectations were high, including an unmatched stealth capability to keep it invisible from even the most sophisticated radar, laser weapons and onboard artificial intelligence to process masses of data coming from the latest in sensor technology.
-
China cuts to key rates to in a bid to support economy
- China surprised markets by lowering a key short-term policy rate and its benchmark lending rates in an attempt to boost growth in the world's second-largest economy.The cuts come after China reported weaker-than-expected second-quarter economic data last week and its top leaders met for a plenum that occurs roughly every five years.
- The country is verging on deflation and faces a prolonged property crisis, surging debt and weak consumer and business sentiment. Trade tensions are also flaring, as global leaders grow increasingly wary of China's export dominance.
SPORTS
-
Le Mans Kart International circuit
- Atiqa Mir, a 9 year old Indian racer, created history at the Le Mans Kart International circuit by becoming the first female racer in the world to win a race in the RMCIT-Rolax Challenge International Trophy.
-
Gothia Special Olympics Trophy
- Tarun Kumar scored the match winner in India's victory over Denmark in the Gothia Special Olympics Trophy football tournament in Sweden.
