News in Short

• The Indian women's hockey team created history as they qualified for the semi-finals of the Olympics for the very first time after defeating Australia 1-0.
• India’s best performance in the Olympics came way back in the 1980 Moscow Games where they finished fourth out of six teams.
• In that edition of the Games, women’s hockey made its debut in the Olympics. India will play Argentina in the Semi-finals.

• The Indian Railways will provide Global Positioning System (GPS) clocks for control offices to enable section controllers coordinate with station masters, loco pilots and other staff directly involved in train operations to ensure uniformity in time.
• The enhanced safety measure will replace analog clocks and train operations will soon be guided by satellite supported timers known for precision and reliability.
• The Ministry of Railways amended relevant provisions in the rule book to make way for the technology upgrade.

• India is set to assume the presidency of highest decision making body of the United Nations, the UNSC for the month of August.
• As part of its new role as president of the UNSC that all 15 members get in rotation, India will decide the agenda of the UN’s highest decision making body whose resolutions and directives are binding on all member states.
• Apart from meeting on maritime security, peacekeeping and counter-terrorism, India will also be organizing an event in memory of peacekeepers.
• India along with Pakistan and Bangladesh is one of the top contributors to UN peacekeeping operations with men and material.

• Bihar’s ruling Janata Dal (United) appointed Munger MP Lalan Singh as the party’s national president. The move was necessitated after JD(U) chief RCP Singh resigned from the post.
• This is the first time in 18 years of JD(U)’s history that a leader from the upper caste has been given the party’s command at the national level.
• Since its formation on October 30, 2003, the JD(U) has had three presidents, who were all from OBC community.Nitish Kumar and RCP Singh belonged to the Kurmi community in Bihar.

• US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American attorney Rashad Hussain as the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, the first Muslim to be nominated to the key position.
• Hussainis currently Director for Partnerships and Global Engagement at the National Security Council. Hussain holds a law degree from Yale Law School and has a master’s degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies from Harvard University.
• Rashad Hussain is Director for Partnerships and Global Engagement at the National Security Council.He previously served as Senior Counsel at the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.