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government wants India to be selfsufficient in pulses by 2027-28. As the world’s largest producer of pulses by far, this may not seem hard, but we are also the largest consumer. A large part of pulses’ production in countries like Myanmar, Canada and Australia is meant for India. Ending imports won’t be easy. This is particularly so for a reason that doesn’t get captured by aggregated figures. Policy makers tend to refer to agricultural products as if they were one thing. Just as barrels of oil (within certain specifications) are considered identical, rice, wheat and pulses are also spoken of as one thing for production and trade statistics. But at the consumption end, we know that the differences between varieties are huge.

South China Sea and aiming to counter Beijing's continuing violations of international treaty obligations, countries in the region are galvanising their defences. Two warships from the Philippines and Japan each, for the first time ever, conducted a joint exercise in the contested waters. This exercise followed a bilateral defence treaty, termed the Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), signed between Manila and Tokyo to facilitate joint exercises for closer security cooperation, amid China's growing assertion in the regional resource-rich waters.

National Sisters Day, celebrated on the first Sunday in August, honors the special bond between sisters. This year, on August 4, 2024, people across the country will show appreciation for their sisters with heartfelt gestures. Whether through a thoughtful gift, a heartfelt note, or quality time together, it's a day to acknowledge the unique and cherished relationship sisters share. From shared memories to mutual support, sisters often play a crucial role in our lives. Take this day to celebrate and strengthen these important connections, and let your sister know just how much she means to you. National Sisters Day is a wonderful opportunity to show your appreciation for the special bond you share with your sister. If you’re short on time but still want to give her a heartfelt gift, a DIY present can be a perfect solution. Here are 20 last-minute DIY gift ideas that will make her feel cherished: 1. Personalized Photo Frame

Everywhere you look, the world’s politicians face tough economic choices. In many countries, they must raise taxes, cut spending or put up with high interest rates to keep inflation in check and make room for investment in the future. China is different.

Draft rules for the legalisation of casinos, which include an initial 30-year casino license with a 10-year renewal option, have been published for public feedback until August 18. The casinos will be part of large entertainment complexes featuring hotels, convention centers, and amusement parks, among other amenities. Thailand would thus join the ranks of the United Arab Emirates and Japan in vying for a share of the global casino industry, estimated to have generated $263 billion in revenue last year. Major players like Galaxy Entertainment Group Ltd. and MGM Resorts International have shown interest in opening casino resorts in Thailand, considering it a strategic move against the uncertain prospects in Macau. Las Vegas Sands Corp. expressed interest in entering the Thai market, stating last month it would consider expanding to Thailand if the opportunity arises.

countries are winning most of the Olympic medals every two years, that's because it's largely true. Even though more than 150 countries and territories have claimed a medal since the modern Games began in 1896, the list of winners is top-heavy. Entering the Paris Summer Games, the United States has the most, by far, with 2,975 medals, according to the International Olympic Committee's research wing. A group of usual suspects follow: the former Soviet Union (1,204), Germany (1,058), Great Britain (955), France (898). Nearly 70 countries and territories, though — roughly a third of the parade of nations — cannot boast an Olympic medalist in any discipline, summer or winter. Some, like South Sudan, which sent its first team to the Olympics in 2016, have only just begun trying. Others, like Monaco, have been at it for more than a century.

Venezuela protests, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concern about the presence of Russian mercenaries from the Wagner group, adding that this was an example of Russia's shameless meddling in other countries' affairs. Protests erupted in the Venezuelan capital the day after President Nicolas Maduro declared victory in the election. The opposition denied Maduro's statement as fraudulent, saying that after reviewing 73.2 per cent of the vote count, their candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won convincingly, the local media outlet reported. In a post on X, Zelenskyy stated, «Worrying reports of Russian Wagner mercenaries being spotted in Venezuela alongside government forces. Wherever these thugs go, they bring death and destabilization.»

Putin has offered humanitarian aid to North Korea, which has been hit by heavy rainfalls and floods, Pyongyang's state media KCNA said on Sunday. Relations between the two countries have grown closer, and Putin made the offer in a message to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivered on Saturday via the Russian embassy in Pyongyang. The Russian leader's message expressed sympathy and support. Putin displayed «his willingness to provide immediate humanitarian support for the recovery from the flood damage,» KCNA said.

digital technology and the most modern methods to help find solutions to global food and nutrition challenges today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the 32nd International Conference of Agricultural Economists here on Saturday. “Agriculture is at the centre of our economic policy”, he said and credited farmers having small landholdings – who constitute 90% of people engaged in agriculture in India – for making the country self-sufficient and providing “superfoods” like millets to the world. Modi recalled that when India became independent from colonial rule, its food security was a matter of concern for the world.

landslides in the early hours of July 30 in Wayanad will go down in Kerala’s history as one of the worst natural disasters the state has faced. It’s a calamity that has claimed over 200 lives, as per official data on Saturday morning, with the final figure expected to be much higher, razed homes and traumatised a society that still carries the scars of past disasters. In the aftermath of the tragedy, as a political blame game ensues between the Centre and the state, one of the immediate questions is to what extent the landslides could have been predicted and their effects mitigated. The other is, what can we do to contain the damage to life when—and not if—such phenomena recur, with climate change and human intervention exacerbating disasters? While landslides are very tricky to predict, it can be done as some other countries have shown, says M Rajeevan. The vice-chancellor of Atria University, Bengaluru, he is former secretary at the Ministry of Earth Sciences and former director of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. In an interview with Indulekha Aravind, he says, “It’s not an easy problem to solve, but if we don’t do it, who will?” Edited excerpts:

Bangladesh has accused the Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka of interfering in the internal affairs of the country through its tacit support and active guidance to the radical student protestors in the country. This comes as the movement led by radical Jamaat-e-Islami and the opposition BNP intensified in Bangladesh. Several reports suggested that the Pakistan mission is in touch with a section of student protesters belonging to pro-Pakistan Jamaat, which is banned in Bangladesh. The country has seen weeks of often violent protests over Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government's decision to offer quota in government jobs to children of 1971 freedom fighters as opposed to family members of pro-Pakistan and anti-liberation figures during the country's freedom struggle.

Indian submarine INS Shalki is on a two-day visit to Sri Lanka in reflection of growing maritime security cooperation between the two countries. The Shishumar class diesel-electric submarine arrived in Colombo on August 2, the Indian Navy said on Saturday. India sends submarines to a handful of countries with whom it has close defence and strategic ties. The Indian submarine's visit to Colombo comes against the backdrop of China's persistent attempts to enhance its strategic and military influence over the island nation.

Mizoram and Assam governments will be held in Aizawl on August 9 to find a lasting solution to the vexed inter-state border dispute between two states. A senior official of the Mizoram Home Department said that Home Minister K. Sapdanga would lead the state’s delegation while the Assam delegation would be headed by the state’s Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora. Due to the Assembly election in Mizoram in November last year and Lok Sabha elections in April-June, the pending meeting between the two states could not be held for a long time, the official said.

trade agreement (FTA) in goods will be held in November, the commerce and industry ministry said on Saturday. ASEAN or the Association of Southeast Asian Nations comprises 10 countries. The third round of the negotiations was concluded on August 1 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The AITIGA (Asean-India trade in goods agreement) was signed in 2009.

Chennai: Classic Legends, a subsidiary of Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, and retailers of Jawa and Yezdi range of motorcycles in India has announced plans to open 200 retail showrooms every year, a top official said on Saturday. Classic Legends was also gearing up to launch the popular BSA range of motorcycles on August 15, company CEO Ashish Singh Joshi said here, after inaugurating a new outlet 'Swastik Motors' spread across 6,000 sq ft at Mount Poonamallee, dubbed as the largest showroom in the country. «We have about 450 dealerships currently. We have planned to take it up to 600 by this financial year. If you compare this with anybody else, we still have a long way to go. For the next few years, we will keep on adding 200 odd (showrooms) every year.» he told reporters. On setting up the largest showroom in the city, he said, «we are excited to open the doors to the country's largest Jawa Yezdi dealership in Chennai. Tamil Nadu is a significant market for us, and this expansion reflects our dedication to giving our patrons the best experience possible from the time they enter our store until they ride out on their brand-new motorcycle. We are optimistic that this facility will help us add many more enthusiasts to the clan.»

China is the latest in a slew of countries planning to gradually raise the statutory retirement age as an aging world population is forcing governments to reform their pension plans.

citizenship in 2023, the Congress on Saturday said the exodus of high-skilled and high net worth Indians is an "economic travesty" that will shrink the country's tax revenue base over the next few years. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said business personalities are increasingly relocating to places such as Singapore, UAE, the UK and other places renouncing their Indian citizenship. In a written response to queries on Indian citizens who have renounced their citizenship, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh recently told the Rajya Sabha that more than 2.16 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship in 2023. Ramesh, the Congress general secretary in-charge communications, said the number was almost double than what it was in 2011, at 123,000.

Ravi Kishan is on a mission to change how the world perceives the Bhojpuri language. Recently, he introduced a private member Bill in the Lok Sabha, aiming to include Bhojpuri in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. This move, according to Kishan, is long overdue. For the unversed, the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution defined 14 languages in 1950. These included Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. In 1967, the 21st amendment to the constitution added Sindhi as one of the languages in the eighth schedule.

global food security, said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi while Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of the 32nd International Association of Agricultural Economists (ICAE). «Along with water shortage and climate change, nutrition is a big challenge but India has a solution for this — India is the biggest producer of millets — to which, the world called as a superfood, we have named it as Shri Ann. Based on the principle of minimum water and maximum production, India's superfood can solve the issue of global nutrition concern. India is willing to share its basket of superfoods with the world,» the Prime Minister said in his address. Moreover, India is promoting chemical-free natural farming, he added.

To Lam, named Vietnam's top leader on Saturday, is a powerful former public security minister who has been swiftly elevated by a corruption crackdown that swept away other contenders. He was confirmed as general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam after the death of his predecessor Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam's most powerful leader in decades. In his first remarks as general secretary, Lam said his promotion was the result of «an urgent need to ensure the leadership of the party».

Happy Friendship Day 2024 Wishes: Friendship Day is celebrated to honor the special bond of friendship that enriches our lives. In India, Friendship Day will be observed on August 4, 2024, the first Sunday of August, aligning with celebrations in the United States and several other countries. Meanwhile, International Friendship Day, recognized by the United Nations, takes place on July 30 each year. Friendship Day is celebrated on different dates worldwide. In the US, it coincides with National Friendship Day on the first Sunday of August. In some South American countries, it is observed on July 20. The United Nations established International Friendship Day in 1998 to highlight the role of friendship in fostering peace and understanding among people globally.