India has been elected to the vice presidency of the International Organization of Aids to Marine Navigation (IALA) in Singapore on Wednesday.

TK Ramachandran, Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways led the Indian delegation comprising Mukesh Mangal, Joint Secretary, N. Muruganandam, Director General of Lighthouses and Lightships, and S. Saravanan, Deputy Director, in the ongoing first General Assembly of IALA in Singapore.

The first General Assembly of IALA also marks its transition from a non-governmental organization (NGO) to an inter-governmental organization (IGO), where India was elected to its Vice Presidency. This underscores India’s strong leadership and contributions to maritime affairs, reaffirming its commitment to sustainable and secure marine navigation, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Chairperson and founder of Reliance Foundation Nita Mukesh Ambani was conferred with the prestigious Governor's Citation by the honourable Maura Healey, Governor of Massachusetts, recognising the compassionate philanthropist as a visionary leader, and true global changemaker. The citation honours Ambani's lifelong dedication to transformative impact across education, healthcare, sports, arts, culture, and women's empowerment – touching millions of lives in India and beyond.

For this special occasion in Boston, Mrs Ambani once again championed India’s rich artistic heritage by adorning a stunning handwoven Shikargah Banarasi saree, a masterpiece of Indian craftsmanship featuring the intricate Kadwa weaving technique and traditional Konya design.

Meanwhile, in a recent interview, Nita Ambani shared her vision for the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai’s plush Bandra Kurla Complex and how it is elevating India's cultural heritage on the global stage.

India captain Rohit Sharma on Thursday became the second fastest batter after compatriot Virat Kohli to complete 11,000 runs in One-day Internationals during their Champions Trophy clash against Bangladesh here.

Rohit is only the fourth Indian and 10th batter overall to reach the mark in the 50-over format.

The skipper achieved the feat in the fourth over of India's chase of 229 in their Group A match when he hit Mustafizur Rahman over mid-on for a boundary.

Star pacer Mohammed Shami became the fastest Indian bowler to reach 200 ODI wickets during the ICC Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh here on Thursday.

Returning to international cricket after a long injury layoff, Shami grabbed three wickets to reach the milestone in his 104th match and better former India pacer Ajit Agarkar's record of reaching the mark in 133 matches.

Jaker Ali, who made 68, was his 200th wicket. Overall, the 34-year-old fast bowler is the second quickest to 200 ODI wickets, behind Australian left-arm pacer Mitchell Starc, who needed 102 games.

One of India's finest seamers, Shami averages less than 25 in the ODI format and has already taken five fifers and 10 four-wicket hauls.

Vietnam's parliament approved plans on Wednesday (February 19, 2025) for an $8 billion rail link from its largest northern port city to the border with China, boosting links between the two communist-ruled countries and making trade easier.

The new rail line will run through some of Vietnam's key manufacturing hubs, home to Samsung, Foxconn, Pegatron and other global giants, many of whom rely on a regular flow of components from China.

The route will stretch 390 kilometres (240 miles) from the port city of Haiphong to the mountainous city of Lao Cai, which borders China's Yunnan province, and will also run through the capital Hanoi.

As Maha Kumbh 2025 nears its conclusion, a rare astronomical event is unfolding in the night sky. For a limited time, all seven planets of the solar system—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune—are visible together, reported India Today.

Rare planetary alignment in February 2025

This planetary parade began in January 2025, with Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune already visible in the night sky. The event will culminate on February 28, 2025, when Mercury joins the lineup, bringing all seven planets into alignment on one side of the Sun.

While the term ‘planetary alignment’ lacks a strict scientific definition, it commonly refers to multiple planets being visible simultaneously along the ecliptic—the apparent path of the Sun across the sky.

Gujarat Finance Minister Kanubhai Desai on Thursday presented a Rs 3.70 trillion budget for the state for the financial year 2025-26, giving tax reliefs of Rs 148 crore. Also, no new tax was proposed in the budget, presented by Desai in the state assembly here on the second day of its budget session.

Desai informed the House that the budget outlay of Rs 3,70,250 crore for 2025-26 indicates an increase of Rs 37,785 crore, or 11.3 per cent, compared to the previous fiscal. The state government proposed a tax relief of Rs 148 crore in the form of reduction in stamp duty on mortgage deeds and on motor vehicle tax on electric vehicles. In his budgetary address, Desai announced a host of new schemes and projects and said the budget was based on five pillars - social security, human resource development, infrastructure development, green growth and development of economic activities.

India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is expected to grow at a slower rate of 6.4% to 6.6% in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 (FY25) as opposed to 8.6% in the same period last year on account of global uncertainties spilling over to the Indian economy.

Bank of Baroda (BoB) projected a GDP growth rate of 6.6% in the reporting quarter while ICRA estimated the economy would expand at an even slower pace of 6.4%. While a slower growth is expected on a yearly basis, it is a recovery from the seven-quarter low of 5.4% clocked in Q2FY25.

“Indian economy remains one of the fastest-growing, though adverse impact due to global headwinds are already visible due to pressure on currency and a possible impact on external sector” said Jahnavi Prabhakar, economist at Bank of Baroda (BoB).

The Government on Thursday (February 20, 2025) extended the tenure of Chief Economic Adviser (CEA) V. Anantha Nageswaran for two years till March 2027.

Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the tenure of Mr. Nageswaran on a contract basis up to March 31, 2027.

With the approval of ACC, the tenure of V. Anantha Nageswaran as Chief Economic Adviser on contract basis is extended up to March 31, 2027, or until further order whichever is earlier, an office order said.

Venus Williams received a wild-card entry Wednesday for the BNP Paribas Open, which would make next month’s tournament in Indian Wells, California, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion’s first event in nearly a full year.

The 44-year-old Williams hasn’t competed anywhere on tour since a first-round loss at the Miami Open on March 19, 2024. That was less than two weeks after she lost her opening match at Indian Wells.

Her first appearance at Indian Wells came in 1994. Williams won five titles at Wimbledon and two at the U.S. Open in singles, along with 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her younger sister, Serena.