Typhoon Doksuri swept into China's southeastern Fujian province on Friday, unleashing heavy rain and violent gusts of wind that whipped power lines sparking fires, uprooted trees and forced factories and shopping malls to shut.

• The second strongest typhoon to land in Fujian after deadly Typhoon Meranti in 2016 forced the closure of schools, businesses and the evacuation of workers from offshore oil and gas fields, said state media.
• There were no immediate reports of injuries or fatalities, unlike Meranti when it caused at least 11 deaths after it made landfall near the port city of Xiamen.
• Doksuri's wind speed was clocked at 137 km/h (85.1 miles per hour) as of 1 p.m (0500 GMT), according to the National Meteorological Center.
• Hourly rainfall in Xiamen, Quanzhou and Putian exceeded 50 mm (2.165 inches), according to the China Meterological Administration (CMA).

Union home minister and minister of cooperation Amit Shah will launch ‘Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar’ as part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav on 27 July.

• The main objective of the project is to culturally map India’s 6.5 lakh villages, spanning 29 states and 7 union territories, on a comprehensive virtual platform.
• The ministry of culture has initiated the ‘Mera Gaon Meri Dharohar’ (MGMD) project under the National Mission on Cultural Mapping in coordination with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
• Through MGMD, people will get an opportunity to immerse themselves in the diverse and vibrant cultural heritage of India.
• It is a pan-India initiative of the Ministry of Culture under National Mission on Cultural Mapping.
• Shah will officially launch the virtual platform during a grand projection mapping show at the Qutub Minar.
• The virtual platform https://mgmd.gov.in will connect people with villages of India.

Mutinous soldiers claimed to have overthrown Niger's democratically elected president, announcing on state television that they have put an end to the government over the African country's deteriorating security.

• The soldiers said all institutions had been suspended and security forces were managing the situation. The mutineers urged external partners not to interfere.
• The announcement came after a day of uncertainty as members of Niger’s presidential guard surrounded the presidential palace and detained President Mohamed Bazoum. There was no immediate indication of whether the mutiny was supported by other parts of the military.
• It was unclear where the president was at the time of the announcement or if he had resigned.

State Bank of India’s Economic Research Department’s report, SBI Ecowrap, said that India is likely to get the tag of the world's third largest economy by FY28.

The path taken by India since 2014 reveals that India is likely to get the tag of the third largest economy in 2027 (or FY28) based on actual GDP data as on March 2023.

The report said

• India should surpass both Japan and Germany in 2027 at the current rate of growth.
• The ncremental increase by India between 2022-2027, is more than the current size of Australia’s economy at $1.8 trillion.
• At this rate, India is likely to add $0.75 trillion in every 2 years, implying that India is all set to touch $20 trillion by 2047, at least on current numbers.
• India’s global share in GDP will cross 4 per cent by 2027.

A bill to curb piracy to help the film industry and simplify licensing procedure was passed by Rajya Sabha on Thursday after the opposition staged a walkout over its demand for a discussion on the Manipur situation.

• The bill, which seeks to amend the Cinematograph Act, 1952, was passed by a voice vote.
• In the bill, the government has proposed a maximum three-year jail term and a fine up to five per cent of the production cost of a film for persons making pirated copies of movies.
• The Cinematograph (Amendment) Bill-2023 also proposes to allow the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) grant certificate to films with perpetual validity by doing away with the 10-year validity period. 
• The bill seeks to introduce three age-based certifications under 'UA' category, namely 'UA 7+', 'UA 13+' and 'UA 16+', and also to empower the CBFC to sanction a film with a separate certificate for its exhibition on television or other media.

Japan’s population declined in all of its 47 prefectures for the first time in a record drop, while its number of foreign residents hit a new high, reaching almost 3 million people, according to government data released .

• The population of Japanese nationals fell by about 800,000 people, or 0.65%, to 122.4 million in 2022 from the previous year, falling for a 14th straight year.
• Japan’s total population was 125.41 million, down just over half a million people from a year earlier, and there was a 10.7% jump in foreign residents with addresses registered in Japan, the ministry said.
• The increase in Japan’s foreign population was the biggest year-on-year rise since the ministry started taking statistics in 2013. Foreign residents now account for about 2.4% of Japan’s population, the ministry said.

The Uttar Pradesh government is considering a proposal to expand the Bal Shramik Vidya Yojana scheme to help 5,000 children across all 75 districts in the state, according to officials.

• Aimed at educating child labourers the scheme is running in 20 districts and benefitting 2000 children.
• Children between 8 and 18 years of age, in agriculture, self-employed, home based establishment and involved in other form of labour can benefit from this scheme.
• The scheme gives financial assistance of Rs 1000 to 1200 PM to selected boys and girls.
• If these children pass 8, 9 and 10 they get an additional of Rs. 6000 for clearing each level.

World Hepatitis Day is a global initiative to raise awareness about hepatitis and its impact on millions of lives. On this important day, let’s come together to learn, educate, and advocate for prevention, testing, and treatment. Together, we can eliminate hepatitis and ensure a healthier future for all. 

• World Hepatitis Day, recognized annually on July 28, provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis.
• In 2016, the World Health Assembly endorsed the elimination of viral hepatitis as a public health threat, including elimination of mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B by 2030.

The theme of the campaign this year is:

Every year, more than a million lives are lost to hepatitis. We’re not waiting for change – we’re fighting to make it happen. 

Shankari Chandran’s "Chai Time at Cinnamon Gardens", an intergenerational epic confronting Australia’s uneasy relationship with multiculturalism and postcolonial trauma, has won the 2023 Miles Franklin literary award.

• Chandran, a Sydney-based lawyer of Tamil heritage, collected the prestigious $60,000 award in Sydney .
• The judges praised Chandran’s third novel, set in an aged care facility in contemporary western Sydney and Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war, as an accomplished work of character, dialogue and action.
• Chandran’s parents, both doctors, fled Sri Lanka as the country stood on the precipice of civil war, first to the UK where the author was born, then to Australia three years later. Chandran grew up in suburban Canberra, in constant dialogue with herself about where she fitted in and the terms under which acceptance was granted.

Considering the big demand for admission into India's first online gaming academy, the Madhya Pradesh government's sports department has extended the E-sports Jr Championship registration date from July 27 to August 1.

• An astounding 40,000 registrations have flooded in for the 200 available seats in the academy.
• Given the overwhelming enthusiasm from the youth, the sports department has also extended the last date for registration to July 27, 2023. 
• Aspiring young e-sports athletes will secure their spots in the academy based on their rankings in the championship.
• The selection process reserves 80 percent of seats for youth from the state and 20 percent for participants from other regions.

World Day Against Trafficking in Persons is observed on July 30 in a bid to raise awareness about the ordeal of human trafficking victims and the ways to safeguard their rights. Human Trafficking is a glaring issue that still lingers across the world.  The day was officially established on December 18, 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 68/192.

• According to the resolution, the U.N. “decides, in the context of the need for raising awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights, to designate 30 July as the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, to be observed every year beginning in 2014.”
• World Day Against Trafficking in Persons provides an opportunity for governments to show their commitment and stop criminals from exploiting people for profit. 
• The theme for the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons 2023 is "Reach every victim of trafficking, leave no one behind."

Bengaluru has become the first Indian city to become part of the World Cities Culture Forum (WCCF,) a global network of cities that share research and intelligence, and explore the role of culture in future prosperity.

• The network currently has 40 cities spanning six continents. Bengaluru being the latest addition is set to join the league of cities like New York, London, Paris, Tokyo and Dubai among others. 
• The global consortium was founded in 2012 by Justine Simons OBE, London’s Deputy Mayor for Culture & the Creative Industries. 
• We have been keen to have an Indian city and a lot of other cities that are part of the network have also been keen about it. Bengaluru is a fast-growing city. It’s very diverse and has got a big commitment to culture,” said Ms. Simons.

World Nature Conservation Day is observed on July 28 to create awareness about the importance of protecting the environment. It’s an important occasion to educate people about the challenges of climate change and the necessity of conservation of natural resources. 

• The purpose of the day is to spread the message of sustainable living and to promote conservation efforts worldwide.
• On this day governments, social organisations, NGOs and educational institutions organise several events to raise awareness about the importance of the conversation of nature.
• From small efforts at individual levels to policy implementations at government levels, every little step could bring significant changes towards a sustainable living. We can save nature and ensure a healthy planet for our future generation.