TODAY’S TOP NEWS: 18th AUGUST, 2022 (GPN):

NATIONAL NEWS:

×××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

1. India’s COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 56 crore mark.
2. PM Modi chairs meeting of Cabinet Committee on security following events in Afghanistan : Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Principal Secretary to PM Dr P K Mishra, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Foreign Secretary Harsh V Shringla attended the meeting.
3. PM Modi on 17 Aug (Tuesday) directed officials to ensure safe evacuation of all Indian citizens from Afghanistan and to provide refuge to Sikhs and Hindus wanting to come to India from there, as he chaired a crucial high-level meeting in the backdrop of the Taliban takeover of the war-torn country
4. Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal conferred the National Intellectual Property Awards at an virtual event in New Delhi on 17 Aug.
5. Six lakh villages to get internet connectivity by 2024 : Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Rajeev Chandrashekhar said.
6. Vriksharopan Abhiyan – 2021 of Coal Ministry is all set to be Launched on August 19, 2021. It will be launched as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
7. Himachal Pradesh CM Jai Ram Thakur announced 6% additional dearness allowance (DA) for govt employees & pensioners retrospectively from July 1. This announcement to provide financial benefit of Rs 450 crore to the employees.
8. No Helmet, No Petrol Two-Wheeler Safety Campaign Launched In Maharastra.
9. In West Bengal, Sushmita Dev, who has changed camp from the Congress to Trinamool Congress, refused to elaborate on her reasons for the change, but said she has “No issues with Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi”.
10. Maharashtra reported 10 new cases of the Delta Plus variant. total cases of Delta Plus variant has increased to 76.
11. Shopping malls in Maharashtra on Tuesday decided to close down operations, after the government modified guidelines mandating them to operate with fully-vaccinated staff.
12. Fresh firing escalates tension again on disputed Assam-Mizoram border.
13. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged-in a climb-a-thon organised by Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling to celebrate Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav in New Delhi on 17 Aug.
14. The climb-a-thon was organised at four smaller peaks of Sikkim Himalayas from April 20th to 25th 2021. The climb-a-thon under the leadership of Group Captain Jai Kishan was conducted at Mt Rhenock, Mt Frey, Mt BC Roy and Mt Palung, by a team of 125 mountaineers.
15. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), has successfully carried ground tests for making a civilian aircraft named ‘Hindustan-228’ : The public sector undertaking of the Defence Ministry,.
16. Indian Coast Guard inducts 3 indigenously-built advanced light helicopters MK-III.
17. An Indian Army team of three officers and 25 sappers has reached Russia to take part in the Safe Route Competition of International Army Games, scheduled from August 24 to September 4, a defence spokesperson said .
18. ITBP to guard Indian diplomatic staff in Afghanistan till required
    An armed contingent of paramilitary force Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) is “actively” securing the diplomatic staff of the Indian embassy in Afghanistan’s capital Kabul and will be there “till required”, officials said on Monday as the Taliban took over the country.

 INTERNATIONAL NEWS
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

1. United Kingdom expresses willingness for collaborating with India on Green Hydrogen Energy. India has already retired 16369 MW of inefficient thermal units till March, 2021. India’s ambitious target of having 450 MW of installed Renewable Capacity by 2030. Union Minister of Power and Renewable Energy, Shri RK Singh said.
2. COVID Cooperation : India handed over 31 life support ambulances to Bangladesh in Dhaka on 17 Aug (Tuesday).
3. India also handed over medical equipment and supplies like Pulse Oxymeter devices, Liquid Medical Oxygen cylinders, nasal cannulas, Oxygen nasal cannulas, oxygen concentrators. High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami formally handed over these ambulances equipped with advanced life support systems to Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr A K Abdul Momen at a programme held in Dhaka.
4. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today discussed the evolving situation in Afghanistan with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.
5. External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar is on two day official visit to Georgia, he has reached New York where he will be presiding over two high-level signature events of the United Nations .
   (a) 1st Event on ‘Protecting the Protectors: Technology and Peacekeeping’.

(b) 2nd event on 19 Aug, it will be a high-level briefing on ‘Threats to International Peace and Security caused by Terrorist Acts’.
His visit to New York comes during India’s Presidency of the United Nations Security Council.

6. Indian Air Force Aircraft C-17 brings back Indian envoy, officials from Kabul. 150 people, including diplomats, officials, security personnel and some stranded Indians, landed at the Hindon airbase near Delhi.
7. The Centre has introduced a new category of electronic visa: The e-Emergency X-Misc Visa will expedite visa application process for those stuck in Afghanistan as the country witnesses mayhem amid takeover by Taliban.
8. PM Modi spoke with his Israeli counterpart Naftali Bennett on Monday with the two leaders agreeing on the potential to further expand cooperation and deciding that the foreign ministries of the two countries would work on preparing a roadmap for further enriching the India-Israel strategic partnership.
9. Afghan soldiers, military cadets undergoing training in India stare at an uncertain future
   : A question mark now hangs over the fate of the over 150 Afghan soldiers and military cadets currently undergoing training in India, with the Taliban swiftly seizing control of the landlocked country after a virtual walkover against the Afghan army
10. India blames Pak over vandalisation of Maharaja Ranjit Singh’s statue in Lahore. saying Islamabad has completely failed in its duty to prevent such attacks which are creating a ‘climate of fear’ among the minority communities.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
 WORLD NEWS 
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

1. Afghanistan Crisis : When the Taliban took over Afghanistan the first time in 1996, China refused to recognize their rule and left its embassy shut for years. This time around, Beijing has been among the first to embrace the Islamist terrorists next door. Reason here, Beijing’s fears about Islamist extremism among its own Uyghur minority in China.
2. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told that,
   “China hopes the Afghan Taliban can unite with other political parties & with all ethnic groups and build a political framework in keeping with national conditions that is broadly inclusive and will lay the foundation for enduring peace,”
3. The head of Afghanistan’s central bank has fled Kabul, questioned the loyalty of Afghan security forces and blamed President Ashraf Ghani and his inexperienced advisors for the country’s swift and chaotic fall to the Taliban.
4. The govt of Bangladesh, Chinese vaccine maker Sinopharm & Incepta Pharmaceuticals Ltd signed an MoU in Dhaka on Monday for the co-production of the Sinopharm COVID 19 vaccine in the country.
5. Taliban’s Afghanistan Takeover, A Fresh Challenge For Social Media Platforms
   Social media giant Facebook confirmed on 16 Aug that it designates the Taliban a terrorist group and bans it and content supporting it from its platforms.
6. Incepta Pharmaceuticals will bring the ingredients of the vaccine from China in bulk. The bottling, labelling and finishing will be done in Bangladesh which is likely to make the vaccine relatively cheap.
7. Militants in Gaza Strip fired rocket at Israel on 16 Aug. The rocket was however intercepted by Iron Dome anti-missile system of Israel.
   It was the first such attack since 11-day war in May 2021.
8. A female news anchor was seen interviewing a Taliban spokesperson on ToloNews today. Women were absent from TV screens since August 15, the day Taliban took control over Kabul. It’s a shift from Taliban’s earlier regime in between 1996-2001 where women were not allowed to work.
9. Taliban promised security for women in press conference. They said Women would be allowed to work and study and “will be very active in society but within the framework of Islam.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××
 SPORTS:
×××××××××××××××××××××××××××

1. PM Modi interacts with para-athlete contingent for Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games virtually ; He expressed hope that India will create a new history at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
2. 54 para athletes from across nine sports disciplines will be heading to Tokyo to represent the nation. This is India’s largest ever contingent to the Paralympic Games.
3. 2020 Summer Paralympics will begin on
   Tuesday, 24 August 2021
   and ends on
   Sunday, 5 September.
4. FIRST PARALYMPIC GAMES : The Stoke Mandeville Games later became the Paralympic Games which first took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960 featuring 400 athletes from 23 countries. Since then they have taken place every four years.

On 29 July 1948, the day of the Opening Ceremony of the London 1948 Olympic Games, Dr. Guttmann organised the first competition for wheelchair athletes which he named the Stoke Mandeville Games, a milestone in Paralympic history. They involved 16 injured servicemen and women who took part in archery.

5. Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Anurag Thakur interacted with the World Youth Archery Championship winners during an event on 17 Aug (Tuesday) & congratulated them for making the nation proud.

Team India registered a total of 15 medals – 8 gold, 2 silver and 5 bronze, from the archery meet in Wroclaw, Poland.

6. ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 schedule announced : India will face Pakistan in their opening game of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 at the Dubai International Stadium on 24 October.

Abu Dhabi will be the venue of the first semi-final on 10 November while the other semi-final (11 November) and the final (14 November) will be played in Dubai. All day matches are scheduled for 14h00 local time and the day-night matches are slated for 18h00 local time (+4 GMT).

==========================

U$SD 74.36 GBP 102.19
Gandhinagar(Gujarat)
CM : Vijay Rupani
Gvnr : Acharya Devvrat

Gold ₹49,100@10 gm 24 (Krt)
 Silver ₹63,600@ Kg
 Petrol ₹ 98.84
 Diesel ₹ 96.88

LPG : ₹ 843/14.2 Kg

BSE Sensex 55,792.28

NIFTY : 16,614.60

FACTS ABOUT INDIA

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Agartala is the capital city of the Indian state of Tripura, and is the second-largest city in northeast India after Guwahati. It is located on the banks of the Haora River, near the Bangladesh border, about 90 kilometres (55 mi) east of Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka. Agartala is being developed under the Smart Cities Mission, a flagship scheme of the Government of India.

THOUGHT OF THE DAY

Life is like a novel and everyday is a page is sad the next will become happy. So don’t worry turn the next page and enjoy your life.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
Joke of the day

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Operation ke baad pappu bola: Dictor sahab,
kya ab main rog mukt hoon?
saamane se javaab mila: beta, Doctor sahab
to dhartee par hee rah gae, main to Chitra Gupt hoon.

ऑपरेशन के बाद पप्पू बोला: ‘डाक्टर साहब,
क्या अब मैं रोग मुक्त हूं?
सामने से जवाब मिला: बेटा, डाक्टर साहब
तो धरती पर ही रह गए, मैं तो चित्र गुप्त हूं।

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
Why

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Why do cars/ vehicles outside of India have the steering wheel on the left side?

India, being a former British colony, inherited the left-hand side of the road and right-hand side of the car as the steering-wheel side. … Hence, a driver sitting on left side in the car will have a better appreciation of the traffic coming from opposite.

Left-om Britain in 1835. Countries which were part of the British Empire followed suit. This is why to this very day, India, Australia and there former British colonies in Africa go left. … It wasn’t until Napoleon conquered the Netherlands that the Dutch started driving on the right.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
LEARN Sanskrit
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Banana कदलिका

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
 How it works 

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

HOW DO SNAILS REPRODUCE? 

Different snails reproduce differently, but most snails are “hermaphrodites.” Being a hermaphrodite means that any given snail can be both male and female at the same time. This can make it a lot easier for

snails to reproduce and quickly make a whole lot of snails! Some hermaphrodite snails do not need another snail to reproduce, but can make more snails all by themselves (this is called asexual reproduction). Other snails are hermaphrodites but still need another snail to reproduce (this is called sexual reproduction). There are also some snails that aren’t hermaphrodites, but are either male or female, and must find a snail of the opposite sex to breed with.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
 GK TODAY
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
BEGINING OF BOLLYWOOD
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Father of Indian Cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke released the first ever full-length feature film ‘Raja Harishchandra’ in 1913. The silent film was a commercial success. Dadasaheb was not only the producer but was also the director, writer, cameraman, editor, make-up artist and art director. Raja Harischandra was the first-ever Indian film which was screened in London in 1914

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
BORN TODAY 
××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

Nirmala Sitharaman (born 18 August 1959) is an Indian politician of the (BJP), who is currently serving as the Minister of Finance and Minister of Corporate Affairs.

Sitharaman formerly served as the Defence Minister of India, thereby becoming India’s second female defence minister and also the second female finance minister after Indira Gandhi and first full-time female Finance Minister.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
 VEDIK GNAN

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

SATYABHAMA , also known as, Satrajiti, is the third consort of the Lord Shri Krishna. Satyabhama is believed to be an avatar of Bhumī Devī.
Satyabhama was the daughter of Yadava King Satrajit, the royal treasurer of Dwaraka, who was the owner of the Syamantaka jewel. Satrajit, who secured the jewel from the sun-god Surya and would not part with it even when Krishna, the king of Dwarka, asked for it saying it would be safe with him. Shortly thereafter, Prasena, the brother of Satrajit went out hunting wearing the jewel but was killed by a lion. Jambavan, known for his role in the Ramayana, killed the lion and gave the jewel to his daughter Jambavati. When Prasena did not return, Satrajit falsely accused Krishna of killing Prasena for the sake of the jewel.

Krishna, in order to remove the stain on his reputation, set out with his men in search of the jewel and found it in Jambavan’s cave, with his daughter. Jambavan attacked Krishna thinking him to be an intruder who had come to take away the jewel. They fought each other for 28 days, when Jambavan, whose whole body was terribly weakened from the incisions of Krishna’s sword, finally recognised him as Rama and surrendered to the lord.

As repentance for his having fought Krishna, Jambavan gave Krishna the jewel and also his daughter Jambavati in marriage. Krishna returned the jewel to Satrajit, who in turn apologized for his false accusation. He promptly offered to give Krishna the jewel and his daughter Satyabhama, in marriage. Krishna accepted them but refused the jewel.

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
 HEALTH CARE: HOME REMEDIES
( Note : These home tips followed in villages/ancient traditions, it is up to you to use it or not) ××××××××××××××××××××××××××××
GET RID OF A HEADACHE

1. Drink Water. Inadequate hydration may lead you to develop a headache.
2. Get Adequate Sleep
3. Head Massage may be able to reduce chronic pain as well as ease muscle tension that causes headaches.
4. If ,you have a migraine, place a cold pack on your forehead. Ice cubes wrapped in a towel, a bag of frozen peas, or even a cold shower may lessen the pain.
5. Tension-related headaches can sometimes be relieved with regular breathing exercises that help focus your mind and ease your muscles.
6. The warmth and comfort of a steaming cup of herbal tea makes it an excellent way to wind down at night
   ÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷=÷
   Regards
   Sachin Murdeshwar ...

÷÷÷÷÷÷Samaptum÷÷÷÷÷÷
╭───────────────────╮
PLZ FOLLOW GOVT. NORMS, MAINT SOCIAL DISTANCE, KEEP YOURSELF YOUR FAMILY SAFE
╰───────────────────╯