No Sand mining without approval : Green Tribunal

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 05 August 2013 ordered a nationwide stay on sand mining on river beds without Environment Ministry clearance.

The interim order came on a petition filed by the NGT Bar Association as a reaction to the suspension of IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal, who had been overseeing a drive against illegal sand mining in Gautam Budh Nagar district in Uttar Pradesh.

National Green Tribunal Act, 2010  is a federal legislation enacted by the Parliament of India, under India's constitutional provision of Article 21, which assures the citizens of India the right to a healthy environment. The tribunal itself is a special fast-track court to handle the expeditious disposal of the cases pertaining to environmental issues

India claimed their first-ever medal Junior Women Hockey World Cup 2013

The Netherlands win the ERGO Hockey Junior World Cup, Argentina take Silver, India claim Bronze in Mönchengladbach,Germany

The reigning champions from the Netherlands defended their title at the ERGO Hockey Junior World Cup. The Dutch girls won the final against Argentina 4-2 in the shoot-out clinching the trophy for a record third time in women’s Junior World Cup history. India claimed their first-ever medal when winning the Bronze medal match against England.

Hassan Rouhani sworn in as president of Iran

Hassan Rouhani, Iran's seventh president since the 1979 Islamic revolution, formally began his four-year presidential term on 3 August 2013.

In a seperate ceremony Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, endorsed his sensational victory in June's presidential election.

Samantha Power sworn in as new US ambassador to UN

Samantha Power on 2 August 2013 took oath to the office of US ambassador to United Nations. Vice-President, Joe Biden administered her, the oath to the office in a ceremony at the White House. Samantha Power succeeded Susan Rice, now the President Barack Obama’s National Security Adviser.

Robert Mugabe declared Winner in Zimbabwe Parliamentary Election 2013.

The incumbent President, Robert Mugabe, was re-elected, whilst his Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front party won a two-thirds majority in the House of Assembly.Robert Mugabe won 61 percent of the vote to claim a seventh term as president. Morgan Tsvangirai finished second with 34 percent of the vote. Mugabe's Zanu-PF party also dominated the parliamentary election winning 160 seats. Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party won 49 seats

Indian Police Team Bags 11gold, 6 Silver and 4 Bronze Medals at the World Police Games

   At the XV World Police & Fire Games 2013 being held at Belfast Indian Police Team has  displayed a strong performance by winning 8 Gold , 4 Silver  and 4 Bronze Medals so far.

Japan launches talking humanoid robot 'astronaut' Kirobo into space

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) launched the first talking humanoid robot   Kirobo "robot astronaut" into orbit from the Tanegashima Space Center in southern Japan as part of nearly 3.5 tons of supplies and equipment to resupply the space station's six-person crew.  Kirobo was put through a series of zero-gravity and other safety tests prior to sending him into space. Kirobo is 34 centimetres tall and can speak Japanese. It will provide emotional support for people in space.

Kirobo — derived from the Japanese words for hope and robot