ADB approves $400 million loan to boost Philippines' food security

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Manila, Aug 13 (IANS) The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said it has approved a loan of 400 million US dollar to help the Philippines reduce hunger, food insecurity, and poor nutrition amid escalating climate and disaster risks. The Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers Project will support the government in expanding its new flagship social assistance initiative, the Zero Hunger Food Stamp Program, the ADB said in its press release, Xinhua News Agency r…

Cambodia's export to EU worth $2.87 billion in first 7 months, up 18 per cent

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Phnom Penh, Aug 13 (IANS) Cambodia exported products worth 2.87 billion US dollar to the European Union (EU) market in the first seven months of 2025, up 18 per cent from 2.43 billion dollars over the same period last year, said an official report on Wednesday. The EU market accounted for 16.1 per cent of the kingdom’s total export volume of 17.72 billion dollars during the January-July period this year, said the report compiled by the Ministry of Commerce, Xinhua News Agency reported.Cambodia’s…

Big-budget action thriller Kaattalan announced

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Kochi, Aug 13 (IANS) Riding high on the massive success of Marco, Cubes Entertainment has announced its next ambitious venture — Kaattalan.Produced by Sherif Mohammed and directed by debutant Paul Varghese, the film will officially launch on August 22 with a pooja ceremony in Kochi.Like Marco, the upcoming action thriller promises multiple engaging elements, but on an even grander scale. Kaattalan will be presented as a pan-India film with a lavish budget of approximately Rs 45 crore, aiming to…

'ECI cancelled one of my voter IDs without informing me': Tejashwi on dual EPIC row

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Patna, Aug 13 (IANS) RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday said that the Election Commission of India (ECI) cancelled one of his Elector Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers without conveying it to him.”I was not aware that the Election Commission cancelled one of my EPIC numbers. The Election Commission did it without my knowledge. It is up to them to explain this matter,” Tejashwi told reporters in Patna.The controversy emerged on August 2, when, during a press conference, Tejashwi demonstrated…

PMJDY transformed financial inclusion for women, rural and marginalised populations

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New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) The Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) has, in the last decade, had a transformative impact in India that redefined financial inclusion for women, rural, and marginalised populations, according to Tuhin A Sinha, a national spokesperson of the BJP.In a media article, Sinha discussed how PMJDY has become a cornerstone of India’s socio-economic transformation, setting a global benchmark by revolutionising access to banking for all.Launched in August 2014 by Prime Mini…

Mamata Banerjee’s 'eviction' lies busted by her party MP, says BJP

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Kolkata, Aug 13 (IANS) The BJP on Wednesday said that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s claims on purported eviction of Bengali-speaking migrant workers from a colony in New Delhi have been busted by her party’s MP in Parliament. The BJP’s information technology cell chief and the party’s central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, said that in the Lok Sabha, June Maliah, the actress-turned-politician and MP from the Medinipur constituency, had asked a question about the “evic…

'Will look into', CJI BR Gavai on relocation of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR

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New Delhi, Aug 13 (IANS) In what could be a ray of hope for the voiceless, Chief Justice of India (B.R. Gavai) on Wednesday said the Supreme Court will “look into” the issue of relocation of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR. The observation came after a lawyer mentioned a plea on the sterilisation and vaccination of community dogs in Delhi and referred to a 2024 apex court order passed by Justice J.K. Maheshwari-led Bench that barred the killing of stray animals and emphasised compassion towards all …

Threatening graffiti found near Jagannath Temple, Puri Police on high alert

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Bhubaneswar, Aug 13 (IANS) The Puri Police are on their toes after graffiti threatening an attack on the famous Jagannath Temple at the sacred coastal town was spotted on the walls of a small temple near the 12th-century shrine on Wednesday.An unknown person has written ‘Terrorist will destroy the Temple’ in Odia language on two locations of the wall of Budhi Maa Thakurani temple, located on the southern side of the temple near Balisahi entrance of the Puri Parikrama Prakalpa marg (Heritage Corr…

BJP raises Hindu activist murder case in K'taka Assembly; demands NIA probe, compensation

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Bengaluru, Aug 13 (IANS) Karnataka BJP raised the Koppal Hindu activist murder case in the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday and demanded that the probe be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The party also urged the government to provide Rs 50 lakh in compensation to the deceased’s family.Raising the issue during Zero Hour, BJP state President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said, “In Koppal, on August 3, a brutal murder took place. Gavisiddappa Nayaka, a Hindu activist belongin…

Gujarat police acquires advanced ‘deep tracker underwater remotely operated vehicles’

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Ahmedabad, Aug 13 (IANS) Gujarat Police have taken a major leap forward in underwater search and surveillance capabilities with the purchase of state-of-the-art Deep Tracker remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). These cutting-edge, portable machines can dive up to 200 meters underwater and lift weights of up to 100 kg, revolutionizing evidence recovery and maritime operations for the force.Equipped with ultra-high-definition 4K cameras, the Deep Tracker ROVs provide crystal-clear video even in murk…