The Ministry of Ayush and the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment signed MoU on Wednesday to improve the well-being of senior citizens and address the growing concern of substance abuse.

This strategic partnership seeks to implement Ayush-based interventions to promote geriatric healthcare and combat substance abuse, Union Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav said.

He said the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a pioneering step to develop cooperative initiatives for health promotion among senior citizens and those affected by substance abuse.

"Geriatric healthcare and substance abuse are critical areas that require special focus, especially as we face an ageing population and growing concerns around addiction," Jadhav said.

Actor Pankaj Tripathi, renowned for his performances in films like Stree 2, Gangs of Wasseypur, and Bareilly Ki Barfi, has come on board as co-founder of Velvet, a cinematic audio stories platform.

Alongside Tripathi, Velvet was co-founded by actor and dialogue coach Vikas Kumar, Akshat Saxena, Varad Bhatnagar, and Sharib Khan. The platform’s goal is to create a unique space for listeners to experience engaging, imaginative, and cinematic audio content, predominantly in Hindi. Velvet plans to expand its offerings to include English and regional Indian languages in the near future.

In a press statement, Tripathi emphasised the deep roots of storytelling in Indian culture. “From folk tales to epics, our stories have always had the power to inspire, educate, and entertain. With this audio platform, we wanted to take this tradition and elevate it into a cinematic experience for the ears, something that transports listeners into a world of imagination while being deeply rooted in our cultural ethos,” he said.

In Sri Lanka, the High Commission of India and Kelaniya Maha Viharaya launched 5 Sinhala translated books on Jataka Tales.

The book launch was held on the occasion of Nawam Poya Day which commemorates the appointment of first two chief disciples of Buddha.

Most Venerable Prof. Kollupitiye Mahinda Sangharakkhita Thero, and Deputy High Commissioner of India Dr. Satyanjal Pandey released the books.

The books have been translated into Sinhala and published by Amar Chitra Katha. Over 5000 books will be distributed across Dhamma schools in the island nation.

In addition, an exhibition on shared Buddhist heritage was also inaugurated on the occasion.

Shillong's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium will host the Indian senior men’s team's two matches that they will play during the FIFA international window in March, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) said on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.

The announcement came just a few days after the same venue hosted NorthEast United's home match of the Indian Super League (ISL), the first in Meghalaya, against Mumbai City on February 7.

"This is the first time that JLN Shillong will (host) senior men's international matches after the stadium was refurbished last year," the AIFF said in a release.

Muskan Rana of Jammu and Kashmir has secured a gold medal in rhythmic gymnastics at the ongoing 38th National Games in Uttarakhand. Muskan Rana is a 15-year-old trainee of the Gymnastic Academy of J&K Sports Council. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has congratulated her for her outstanding achievement and wished her continued success in future endeavours.

Muskan’s triumph serves as an inspiration to many aspiring athletes from the region. Muskan has bagged one gold, two silver, and one bronze medal at the national championship, making J&K proud with her exceptional sports talent. She had brought laurels to the Union Territory by clinching five medals in the Khelo India Youth Games 2024 held in Chennai in January last year. During the past Khelo India Games, Muskan Rana and Bavleen Kaur won the best gymnasts of India titles in 2021 and 2022, along with winning medals for J&K.

India’s net direct tax collection, comprising corporate tax and personal income tax, increased by 14.69% to cross ₹17.78 lakh crore as of February 10 in the current financial year, compared to ₹15.51 lakh crore in the same period of 2023-24, according to data released by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Tuesday.

The gross direct tax revenue surged by 19.06% to exceed ₹21.88 lakh crore, up from ₹18.38 lakh crore in the corresponding period of the previous year.

Revenue from net non-corporate taxes, primarily personal income tax, grew by 21% year-on-year to ₹9.48 lakh crore during this period. Meanwhile, net corporate tax collection rose by over 6% to more than ₹7.78 lakh crore between April 1, 2024, and February 10, 2025.

Collections from securities transaction tax (STT), which also falls under direct taxes, recorded a sharp 65% increase, reaching ₹49,201 crore so far in the financial year.

Greece’s parliament elected its former speaker, Constantine Tassoulas, as the country’s president on Wednesday, approving the conservative government’s nominee for the largely ceremonial role.

The decision to nominate him has angered protesters who rallied outside parliament last month seeking justice over a deadly 2023 train crash. They say that on Tassoulas’ watch as parliamentary speaker, lawmakers failed to investigate any political responsibility over Greece’s worst rail disaster.

Two years later, a judicial probe is still in progress. Parliament is the only body that can investigate politicians under Greek law.

Tassoulas, 66, a lawyer and father of two who has been a lawmaker since 2000 and has previously served as Greece’s culture minister and deputy defence minister, won the backing of 160 lawmakers in Wednesday’s vote in the 300-seat parliament.

Ministry of Labour & Employment, Government of India, in collaboration with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII)-Employers’ Federation of India (EFI), is set to host the first-ever Regional Dialogue on Social Justice on 24-25 February 2025 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. This landmark event is a significant contribution to the Global Coalition for Social Justice.

Launched by ILO in 2023, the Coalition is a platform for governments, employers’ and workers’ organizations, international and regional organizations, financial institutions and development banks, enterprises, international non-governmental organizations and academia committed to advancing social justice and engaging in collaborative efforts to achieve shared objectives. The Coalition leverages collaboration among partners to amplify the unique strengths of each participant, comprehensively and coherently addressing social justice challenges.

Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan was on Wednesday named as one of the four event ambassadors for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan and Dubai from February 19 to March 9.

Besides Dhawan, the ICC has also named Pakistan’s 2017 Champions Trophy-winning captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, former Australia all-rounder Shane Watson, and New Zealand’s legendary fast bowler, Tim Southee as event ambassadors.

The quartet will write guest columns and will also attend matches, sharing their thoughts on the event, where the world’s best eight teams will compete for the top honour.

Dr. Raj P Narayanam, Founder and Executive Chairman of Zaggle, was awarded the prestigious 2024 Hurun Industry Achievement Award for Financial Solutions Innovation at India's most respected Entrepreneur Awards 2025. The awards celebrate the achievements of leaders across industries who have significantly impacted their sectors and contributed to the growth of the Indian economy.

* Honoured at India's Most Respected Entrepreneur Awards 2025 hosted by Hurun India

* The industry award recognizes trailblazers who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and impact in their respective fields

* "Hard work, perseverance, and dedication describe my journey toward success," said Dr. Raj

The award is a testament to his pioneering innovations and contributions to transform the financial solutions landscape. Under Dr. Raj's leadership, Zaggle has consistently delivered innovative financial solutions that address the evolving needs of businesses and customers. His forward-thinking approach and emphasis on leveraging technology have enabled the development of scalable, efficient, and customer-centric financial products and services.