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.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Thursday launched Electronic Personnel License (EPL) for pilots, a significant step towards modernising and enhancing the safety, security, and efficiency of civil aviation in India.

With this launch, India has become the second country in the world to implement EPL for flight crew. China has already implemented such a facility.

The minister launched the EPL at UDAAN Bhawan here.

Implementation of Electronic Personnel License (EPL) by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) aligns with the government's Ease of Doing Business and Digital India Initiative.

Francesco Rivella, best known as the inventor of Nutella, recently passed away at the age of 97.

As per reports, Francesco breathed his last on February 14. After learning about Rivella's demise, netizens paid heartfelt tributes, thanking him for creating a product that millions have tasted and relished.

Before launching Nutella, Rivella worked for Michele Ferrero, son of the chocolate brand Ferreo's owner— Pietro Ferrero. He was part of the Ferrero team responsible for studying raw materials to develop new products by blending, refining and tasting ingredients in pursuit of the perfect flavors.

The Union Government has released Fifteenth Finance Commission (XV FC) Grants during Financial Year 2024–25, for the Rural Local Bodies of Bihar, Haryana and Sikkim. Bihar gets the 2nd installment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.821.8021 crores and withheld portion of 1st installment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.47.9339 crores. These funds are for the all 38 District Panchayats, 530 eligible Block Panchayats and 8052 eligible Gram Panchayats which fulfilled the mandatory conditions for the release. While Rural Local Bodies in Haryana will get, 2nd installment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.202.4663 crores and withheld portion of 1st installment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.7.5993 crores. These funds are for the 18 eligible District Panchayats, 142 eligible Block Panchayats and 6195 eligible Gram Panchayats. Sikkim receives the 2nd installment of Untied Grants amounting to Rs.6.2613 crores during Financial Year 2024–25. These funds are for the 4 eligible District Panchayats and 186 eligible Gram Panchayats which fulfilled the mandatory conditions for release.

The Untied Grants will be utilized by Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)/ Rural Local Bodies (RLBs) for location-specific felt needs, under the Twenty-Nine (29) Subjects enshrined in the Eleventh Schedule of the Constitution, except for salaries and other establishment costs. The Tied Grants can be used for the basic services of (a) sanitation and maintenance of ODF status, and this should include management and treatment of household waste, and human excreta and fecal sludge management in particular and (b) supply of drinking water, rainwater harvesting and water recycling.

Dr Vivek Joshi on Wednesday assumed charge as the Election Commissioner of India in pursuance of the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India's Gazette notification dated February 17, 2025.

According to an official release from the ECI, Dr Joshi is a 1989 batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service of the Haryana cadre.

Before this, he served as the Chief Secretary, of the Government of Haryana and Secretary, of the Department of Personnel and Training and the Department of Financial Services in the Government of India.