India and Bhutan reviewed the progress of New Delhi-supported development projects in the Himalayan nation during a high-level talk, as the two sides signed a concessional line of credit agreement worth Rs 4,000 crore and expanded cooperation in the health sector.

The fifth India-Bhutan Development Cooperation Talks, co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and his Bhutanese counterpart Dasho Pema Lektup Dorji on Thursday, focused on the implementation of projects under Bhutan's 13th Five-Year Plan, the Indian Embassy in Bhutan said in a social media post.

The two sides reviewed the progress and implementation of India-supported projects across diverse sectors, it said.

Lovepreet Singh WINS SILVER in Men's 110+kg
Athletics - Seema Kaliramna WINS BRONZE in Women's Discus Throw
Athletics - Tejaswin Shankar (WILL RESUME TOMORROW) in Men's Decathlon (second right now after 100m, long jump, shot put, high jump and 400m).
Athletics - Neeraj Chopra (5th), Rohit Yadav (9th) and Yash Vir Singh (10th) into Men's Javelin Throw Final.
Athletics - Praveen Chithravel (2nd) and Selva Prabhu (3rd) into Men's Triple Jump Final
Para Cycling - Lisha Das doesn't qualify for Women's C4-C5 4000m Individual Pursuit Finals

At the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, top-seeded India began its campaign with commanding 3-nil victories in both the men’s and women’s team events today.

The Indian men’s team defeated Zimbabwe 3-nil in its Group A opener at the Thyagraj Stadium.

Commonwealth Games medallist Manav Thakkar beat Taenda Mumvuma 11-3, 11-2, 11-6 before Harmeet Desai overcame Tapiwa Musarurwa 11-5, 11-4, 11-5. Payas Jain sealed the win with an 11-3, 11-3, 11-8 victory over Vikram Singh.

The Indian women also registered a 3-nil win over Maldives in their Group B opener without dropping a game. Sutirtha Mukherjee defeated Fathimath Dheema Ali 11-4, 11-2, 11-5, Yashaswini Ghorpade beat Aishath Rafa Nazim 11-2, 11-5, 11-7, and Swastika Ghosh completed the sweep with an 11-3, 11-5, 11-2 victory over Mishka Mohamed Ibrahim.

The first-ever air shipment of Neelam and Totapuri mangoes from Karnataka to the Maldives has opened new opportunities for the state's mango growers, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said, highlighting the milestone as a step towards expanding the presence of Indian horticultural produce in international markets.

In a post on X, Goyal congratulated the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) for facilitating the shipment.

"This milestone unlocks new opportunities for Karnataka's mango growers, encouraging greater participation from Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), exporters & agri-entrepreneurs, enhancing their presence in the international markets," Goyal said.

Kangra district is mourning the passing of General VN Sharma, the 14th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), who died at the age of 97. He served as Army Chief from 1988 to 1990.

General Sharma will be cremated on Saturday morning at Brar Square Cremation Ground in Delhi. News of his demise evoked an outpouring of grief across Kangra, where people remembered him not only as an accomplished soldier but also as a humble son of the soil whose achievements inspired generations.

Tributes poured in from his friends and admirers, who recalled his warmth, wisdom and inspiring anecdotes.

Indian Army chief General Dhiraj Seth on Thursday described the newly launched Xtreme Weather Grade (XWG) diesel, developed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), as a "real game changer" for the Indian Army's operations in high-altitude and extreme temperature zones.

At a ceremony in Delhi, he called it a shining example of collaboration between the armed forces and domestic industry.

Addressing the launch ceremony of the fuel, the Army Chief drew from his own background in the Armoured Corps to underline the significance of the development.

The Maldives has launched real-time cross-border fund transfers to India through the integration of its instant payment system, Favara, with India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI). The Maldives Monetary Authority announced the successful rollout of the service yesterday, describing it as a major step in strengthening digital financial connectivity and economic cooperation between the two countries. The Finance Ministry said that under the new facility, individuals in the Maldives can transfer money in real time to beneficiaries in India.

It added that transactions are initiated in Maldivian Rufiyaa and are credited directly in Indian Rupees to UPI-enabled bank accounts. In the initial phase, the service is available to customers of Bank of Maldives Plc and Maldives Islamic Bank Plc. Users can make person-to-person transfers through their mobile banking applications using the Favara payment platform.

The Ministry said that permitted remittance categories include family-maintenance-related remittances under both Foreign Inward and Foreign Outward Remittance, as well as gift-related remittances permitted under Foreign Outward Remittance.

The Ministry of Ayush and IndiaAI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote Artificial Intelligence-driven innovation across the Ayush sector. The Ministry of Ayush said that the MoU aims to harness emerging technologies to strengthen research, digital health, capacity building and innovation in traditional medicine.

It added, the partnership will accelerate the adoption of Artificial Intelligence across key Ayush domains, including research, medicinal plants and drug administration, while fostering a technology-enabled and future-ready Ayush ecosystem. Under the partnership, the Ministry will onboard the AIKosh platform to share eligible health research artefacts, including datasets, metadata, AI models, toolkits and relevant use cases.

The Ministry said that the collaboration will support advanced AI research, strengthen digital innovation in healthcare and contribute to building an evidence-driven and globally competitive Ayush ecosystem.

Women and Child Development Minister Annpurna Devi today urged citizens to download the Mission Shakti App for quick access to key helpline services for women and children. The App provides easy access to multiple emergency and support services on a single platform.

In a social media post, the Union Minister highlighted that the Mission Shakti App further strengthens the Government’s resolve towards the safety, assistance and empowerment of women and children. She said the App enables quick and convenient access to important helpline services, including Women Helpline 181, Emergency Response Support System 112, Poshan and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana Helpline 1515, National Cyber Crime Helpline 1930, Legal Aid through National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) 15100, Tele-MANAS 14416 and Child Helpline 1098.

Mrs. Annpurna Devi appealed to citizens to download the Mission Shakti App and share information about these important services with their families and acquaintances.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, today launched DAANVEER, a citizen participation initiative aimed at strengthening the digital infrastructure of Gram Panchayats across the country in New Delhi. The initiative was launched by Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Vivek Bharadwaj,

Launching the initiative, Mr Bharadwaj described DAANVEER as an important step towards realising the vision of Viksit Bharat by ensuring that every Gram Panchayat is digitally equipped, connected and future-ready. He said the initiative provides an opportunity to reconnect with their roots by contributing meaningfully to the development of their native villages.

Emphasising the transformative role of digital infrastructure at the grassroots, he observed that a computer in a Gram Panchayat is no longer merely a device for maintaining records; it is an enabler of faster service delivery, greater transparency and improved governance. He noted that DAANVEER should be viewed not as a donation drive, but as a platform for partnership that enables citizens and institutions to become active participants in strengthening local self-governance and advancing Digital India.