1. Kamala Harris makes history running for US Vice Presidential candidate
US Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden named Kamala Harris to run for vice president along with him. Indian origin Senator Kamala Harris becomes the first Black and Asian-American woman to stand for Vice President by a major party. The California Senator is the daughter of Indian and Jamaican immigrants and was elected to the Senate in 2016 and served as the attorney general of California for six years before that.
2. PM Modi to launch a new platform honoring honest taxpayers
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch a transparent scheme tomorrow to honour honest taxpayers of India. The platform for ‘Transparent Taxation- Honoring the Honest’ will be launched via video-conferencing tomorrow. This initiative aims to bring in efficiency and transparency and will carry forward the journey of direct tax reforms.
3. First batch of Russian Covid-19 vaccine to be released in two weeks
Russian health minister cited that the first batch of Russia’s coronavirus vaccine will be released in two weeks. Russia claims to have already received requests for 100 crore doses from other countries. The vaccine has been named as ‘Sputnik V’ in honour of the first satellite launched by the Soviet Union. Russia plans to conduct a mass countrywide vaccination drive in October. However experts around the world have raised concerns against vaccine citing safety reasons.
4. Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt diagnosed with lung cancer
61 year old actor Sanjay Dutt has been diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer. He was taken to Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai three days back after complaining of breathlessness and chest discomfort. He tested negative for Covid-19 and was soon discharged. The actor will reportedly fly to the United States soon for treatment.
5. Reliance Foundation to collaborate with USAID to bridge gender digital divide in India
Reliance Foundation on Wednesday announced that it has partnered with US Agency for International Development (USAID) to launch the W-GDP Women Connect Challenge across India. It aims to bridge the gender digital divide in India. The Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Challenge provides support to the private sector to reduce gender gap by empowering women and expanding business opportunities for women.
6. UK economy in recession after slump in second quarter
The United Kingdom is officially in recession for the first time in 11 years. The economy shrank 20.4% compared to the initial three months of the year, pushing the country into the deepest recession of any major global economy. The country suffered its biggest slump between April and June as lockdown measures against coronavirus brought industries to a standstill.
7. Govt asks CBSE students to share ideas to achieve self-reliance
The Union Education Ministry wants high school students under CBSE to share their ideas to make Self Reliant India a reality. A notification from CBSE asked students to submit their essays by 14 August midnight in the Mygov portal which is an online platform to crowdsource ideas. The ministry has given 10 themes ranging from supremacy of constitution to importance of duties as a citizen, environment conservation and making of a new India through agricultural prosperity.
8. Protests break out in Bengaluru over Facebook post by Congress legislator nephew
Violent protests erupted in East Bengaluru last night over an inflammatory Facebook post expressing anti-Islam sentiments. At least three people have died and several have been injured as the police opened fire and burst tear gas shells. The post has allegedly been uploaded by Congress legislator Akhanda Murthy’s nephew. Around 60 policemen have also been injured.
9. Xiaomi launches Mi 10 ultra on its 10th year anniversary
The 6.7 inch Mi 10 Ultra was launched by Xiaomi on the company’s 10th anniversary in a presentation hosted by co-founder and CEO Lei Jun. The latest model comes packed with 120x zoom system with a large multi-camera array and a super fast 120W charger. It is powered by a 4500 mAh battery and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 with RAM ranging from 8GB lowest to 16Gb for the highest price range.
10. UN ready to provide humanitarian support for most affected Indian communities by heavy monsoon
The United Nations is ready to provide humanitarian support to the most vulnerable and affected communities in India, a spokesperson for the UN Secretary General mentioned amidst heavy monsoon in the region. Around 5.4 million have been affected with severe flooding and 11000 households displaced along with 135 deaths. A 40 million USD response plan has been drawn to help the people in need in the country.
