Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on a visit to Maldives. Maldives President Mohammad Muizzu congratulated PM Modi on becoming the second longest-serving Prime Minister of India. He described PM Modi's 4,078 continuous days of service as a symbol of his unwavering commitment to public service and the progress of the Indian people.

At a banquet hosted in honour of Prime Minister Modi in Male on Friday, President Muizzu said his 4,078-day tenure reflects Modi's "unwavering commitment to public service and dedication to the progress and prosperity of the Indian people". The ceremony witnessed a warm exchange of bilateral goodwill.

President Muizzu said, “Tonight we are pleased to reciprocate that friendship and goodwill in the spirit of the close ties between our two countries. First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to PM Modi on becoming India’s second longest-serving Prime Minister today. This milestone of 4,078 continuous days in office is testimony to your unwavering commitment to public service and your dedication to the progress and prosperity of the Indian people.”

NASA has officially launched the TRACERS mission (Tandem Reconnection and Cusp Electrodynamics Reconnaissance Satellites) which will be studying the magnetic reconnection- an energy burst that occurs when the Sun’s magnetic field interacts with Earth’s magnetic shield. This will help in understandin on how space weather affects our planet.

The TRACERS satellites lifted off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

The mission includes two satellites flying just 10 seconds apart to take over 3,000 measurements in one year. Their job is to closely study magnetic activity in a region near Earth’s North Pole called the polar cusp, where the Sun’s magnetic field hits Earth’s.

These satellites will provide real-time data about how solar energy and particles enter Earth’s upper atmosphere and affect communication systems, satellites, and even electricity grids.

The birth anniversary celebrations of Chola emperor Rajendra I (Aadi Thiruvathirai festival) commenced on Wednesday at the historic Brihadeeswarar temple in Gangaikondacholapuram in Ariyalur. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the chief guest for the grand finale of the festival scheduled for July 27, announced the union government.

At an event to mark the commencement of the festival, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, who also holds the archaeology portfolio, said the DMK government in 2021 declared Aadi Thiruvathirai as Rajendra Chola’s official birth anniversary based on historical research.

He credited historian Kudavayil Balasubramanian for identifying, through detailed epigraphic studies, that Rajendra Chola was born in the Thiruvathirai star of the Tamil month of Aadi, and not in Margazhi as previously believed.

India’s top finance ministry honchos till recently, who had combined forces on many a Union Budget including the one presented this year, are now collectively responsible for securing and developing the country’s financial sector, with the Centre appointing the recently retired Finance Secretary Ajay Seth at the helm of the insurance regulator on Thursday.

Seth was picked as the new chairman of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai), nearly four months after the post fell vacant after the tenure of incumbent chief Debashis Panda ended this March. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister

Young Welsh sensation Riley Powell gatecrashed Pankaj Advani’s birthday party by denying India’s green baize baron a 29th World title with a stunning come-from-behind triumph at the IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championship here on Thursday evening.

The 16-year-old, who missed out on the two age-group (U-17 and U-21) competitions earlier in the week, handed Advani, who turned 40 on the day, a 5-4 defeat in front of a motley crowd.

The teenager had the small gathering spellbound with some amazing potting. Advani, who earlier came through a humdinger (5-4) against Aditya Mehta in the semifinals, couldn’t stop his marauding rival after the early success.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on King Charles III at his residence on Thursday during which he presented a tree sapling as part of his “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” environmental initiative.

In a post on X, PM Modi said he had "a very good meeting with His Majesty King Charles III” during the meeting at his Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, eastern England.

PM Modi said both also covered aspects such as Yoga and Ayurveda as well as the India-UK Free Trade Agreement, known as Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

International Booker prize winning Hindi author Geetanjali Shree's "Once Elephants Lived Here", translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell, has been named one of the 14 titles to win the PEN Translates award, English PEN announced on Thursday.

The London-based human rights organisation has selected 14 titles in 13 languages from 11 regions across the world.

Among the winners, featured through the PEN Translates x SALT collaboration, are "Once Elephants Lived Here" by Geetanjali Shree, translated from the Hindi by Daisy Rockwell, and "Eyes, Eyes, Eyes" by Pakistani poet Sara Shagufta, translated from the Urdu by Javeria Hasnain.

A day after women constable recruits protested over poor condition and lack of basic amenities in their barracks at the 26th Battalion provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) centre in Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday inaugurated an 11-storey barrack tower and a 30-bed hospital in the campus.

Speaking at the event, the chief minister said earlier lakhs of police posts remained vacant and the previous governments failed to make the recruitment process transparent due to lack of intent. “Frequent irregularities and corruption led to court-imposed stays, leaving young aspirants disillusioned and directionless,” he added.

“Eight years ago, the state had the capacity to train only 3,000 police personnel at a time. Today, that capacity has expanded with over 60,000 trainees undergoing training simultaneously at 112 police training centres,” he claimed.

World Drowning Prevention Day 2025: Observed annually on July 25, World Drowning Prevention Day aims to raise awareness about the devastating and long-term impact of drowning on families and communities. The day also serves to promote effective drowning prevention strategies. According to research, an estimated 2,36,000 people lose their lives to drowning each year, many of them children aged 5 to 14. The risk is especially high in rural areas, where children often enter water without proper safety measures, making them more vulnerable to such tragedies.

World Drowning Prevention Day was established by the United Nations General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/75/273 in April 2021 as part of a global effort to raise awareness about drowning and promote prevention strategies.

Drowning is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as “the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid." It can result in death, morbidity, or no morbidity. Contrary to common assumptions, drowning is often silent and quick.

On 4 March 2025, the United Nations General Assembly voted 160 to 1 (USA) with 3 abstentions to make 25 July each year the International Day for Judicial Wellbeing taking into account the Nauru Declaration on Judicial Well-Being launched on 25 July 2024.

Justice Rangajeeva Wimalasena who was the inspiration behind the Declaration stated: “Judicial wellbeing is not just about individual resilience, it is about safeguarding the independence, integrity, and effectiveness of judicial systems worldwide. This recognition at the UN level is a testament to the growing awareness that a strong, well-supported judiciary is fundamental to justice and democracy. Let this be a call to action for all stakeholders to prioritise judicial wellbeing and ensure that those who uphold justice receive the support they need.”