🤖 Google is back in food ordering game with AI

Google has relaunched a restaurant ordering feature directly within Google Maps, integrating it with the Ask Maps AI chatbot. This feature allows users to chat about nearby restaurants and place pickup or delivery orders through natural language prompts. Currently, Ask Maps integrates with Toast and Square and is soon adding Uber Eats for thousands of restaurants. Restaurants only need a Google Business Profile, and there are no added fees or commissions for using this new channel. This move positions Google as a major player in the growing trend of agentic commerce.

🌾 Markfed profits big from maize e-auction

Telangana Cooperative Marketing Federation made a profit by e-auctioning nearly 11 lakh tonnes of maize procured in the Rabi season. The agency sold this grain in three phases, with the average price hitting ₹25,370 per tonne. A total of 3.8 lakh tonnes was sold urgently due to rain threat, while the rest was auctioned between July 31 and August 3. This move followed Markfed procuring a record 14.6 lakh tonnes of maize overall. Officials are now asking FCI to increase storage capacity in the state. 🌽

🚧 BJP slams 'unscientific' canal work in Thrissur

The Bharatiya Janata Party protested the canal construction on Kuruppam Road, calling it unscientific. Raghunath C. Menon, BJP mandalam president, led the protest in Thrissur city. The current UDF council is spending nearly ₹2 crore on concrete slabs, a move that has caused inconvenience. This construction follows a six-month closure of the road by the previous LDF council. The BJP warned of stronger protests if this development work continues to negatively affect the public. 🚧

🌿 Poisonous plants holding keys to future meds 🧪

Scientists found six key enzymes in wolfsbane and larkspur that could help replicate complex natural compounds. This research was conducted by a team from Michigan State University and the Czech Academy of Sciences. The discovery involved tracking thousands of genes across various species and testing the pathway in tobacco plants. This work shows how nature's toxic chemistry can be turned into safer, scalable medicines for pain and cancer. The ultimate goal is to use these blueprints to create sustainable new drug treatments.

🕊️ US-Iran talks continue, but no direct talks planned yet

Qatar confirmed that mediation efforts involving Qatar, Pakistan, and Oman are still underway to prevent escalation between the US and Iran. The focus remains on achieving a short-term resolution to potentially reignite Washington-Tehran discussions. While US officials hint at a quick deal, Iran insists its talks are only with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz reopening. This waterway, vital for global oil, has been effectively closed since late February due to regional tensions. Further developments are awaited as mediators work behind the scenes. 🚢

🔬 New PhD program links industry and research

Telangana Life Sciences, BITS Pilani, and RMIT University launched a joint industry-integrated PhD and research programme. This initiative aims to bring industry and academia closer to boost innovation in the Life Sciences sector. Professionals in Life Sciences Global Capability Centres can now do doctoral research on real-world challenges while staying employed. The program seeks to build research talent and accelerate industry-led solutions for scientific problems. This move supports Hyderabad's growth into a hub for product design and breakthrough innovation.

🏆 Tamil Nadu weavers get National Handloom Awards

Three weavers from Tamil Nadu are set to receive the National Handloom Awards for 2025. M.V. Gopinathan from Coimbatore, Kovilvazhi Handloom Weavers Cooperative Society from Tiruppur, and weavers Annamalai Marimuthu and Kumaran Balaraman from Tiruvannamalai are the recipients. These individuals are part of the 19 awardees being honored on August 7. They will receive a tamrapatra, shawl, and certificate from President Droupadi Murmu during the National Handloom Day celebrations in New Delhi. The awards recognize achievements in design development, product marketing, and handwoven Kancheepuram silk sarees.

🔭 Solar system trap: humanity might never leave 🌌

The edge of our solar system, the Oort Cloud, is 2,500 years away even with the fastest spacecraft. According to Kurzgesagt, three physical barriers—distance, dust, and uninhabitable stars—could keep us trapped here. At 20% light speed, tiny dust grains can detonate like grenades, while a golf-ball rock rivals the Hiroshima bomb. The nearest star systems have only three Sun-like stars, with the rest being deadly red dwarfs. Further research needs to focus on fusion/antimatter propulsion and exoplanet imaging.

🌿 BC funds big marshland restore in Cowichan Estuary 🏞️

British Columbia is investing $500,000 to restore 70 hectares of marshland in the Cowichan Estuary. This initiative involves partnership with Nature Trust of BC and Cowichan Tribes in the Cowichan Valley. The project aims to boost flood resilience, protect biodiversity, and support local food systems through 2024. Without this work, up to 60% of the marsh habitat could disappear by the year 2100. The restoration emphasizes Indigenous stewardship and climate adaptation for the future.

🕌 Bareilly event drops meat for Kanwar Yatra

An Islamic religious event in Bareilly has removed meat from its menu and changed dates. The 108th Urs-e-Razvi, held at Ala Hazrat Dargah, was rescheduled to August 6 to August 8 instead of August 7 to August 9. This change was made following requests from the district administration and police due to the Kanwar Yatra. During the Yatra, devotees walk long distances to collect Ganga water before returning home. Consequently, several schools in western UP districts are closed until August 12. 🕌

🏏 PCB drops WAPDA and Sahir from domestic cricket

The PCB has removed WAPDA and Sahir Associates from the upcoming domestic season due to non-compliance with new rules. These two departments, one of Pakistan's oldest, are being replaced by OGDCL and Kingsmen Academy in the President's Trophy and Cup. The new regulations, introduced in June, include mandatory contracts and auditing financial transactions. A key sticking point was a threefold hike in the participation fee to PKR 15 million. This decision aims to professionalize the domestic cricket events for better quality. 🏏