U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday (November 19, 2025) he was designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, as he hosted Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for a gala dinner at the White House.

"Tonight, I'm pleased to announce that we're taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally, which is something that is very important to them," Mr. Trump said.

"And I'm just telling you now for the first time, because they wanted to keep a little secret for tonight," Mr. Trump said of the designation, which only 19 other countries have previously received.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) will organise the maiden Earth Summit 2025-26 with the theme ‘Empowering rural Innovation for Global Change’ in Hyderabad on November 20 and 21.

The second edition of the conference series will take place in Gandhinagar on December 5 and 6, 2025, while the third meeting will be held in New Delhi in February 2026.

“The Summit will serve as a global platform to drive policy outcomes, investments, and collaborations that accelerate rural transformation. Industry leaders from across sectors will explore ways to bridge gaps between technology, finance, agriculture, and climate action,” Shaji K.V, Chairman, NABARD, said here on Wednesday.

Strengthening regional partnerships has gained “immense significance today” due to the “rapidly changing and challenging global security environment”, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said Thursday in his opening remarks to the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC) NSA-level meeting.

“The CSC has gained immense significance today in the midst of a rapidly changing and challenging global security environment. Realising the growing importance of strengthening regional partnership amongst the countries of the Indian Ocean region, we came together in 2020 to reinforce the cooperation in vital matters of security through the establishment of Colombo Security Conclave,” Doval said.

The outlay for the modified UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik) regional air connectivity scheme has been proposed at ₹30,000 crore, industry sources told businessline.

The proposal is intended to continue the scheme beyond April 2027 through an expanded UDAN framework.

On Monday, the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) of the Ministry of Finance met to review the proposal, sources added, noting that the committee is expected to take “a call on it soon”.

The final policy draft would then be subject to the Union Cabinet’s approval.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a major public health concern and poses significant risks, particularly in surgical procedures, cancer treatment, and other critical healthcare interventions.

It can be addressed only through collective action, Union Health Minister J. P. Nadda said on Tuesday (November 18, 2025), at the launch of the second version of the National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (NAP-AMR) (2025–29).

“Overuse and misuse of antibiotics have unfortunately become common practice, and NAP-AMR 2.0 addresses the gaps identified in the first plan by increasing the ownership of AMR-related efforts, strengthening inter-sectoral coordination and ensuring stronger engagement with the private sector,’’ he said, adding that there is a requirement of enhancing laboratory capacity and infection control in healthcare facilities.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), under the IndiaAI Mission, launched ‘Yuva AI for All’ on Tuesday. This free course is designed to introduce Artificial Intelligence (AI) to all, especially the youth.

The 4.5-hour self-paced course is designed to make students, professionals and other learners comfortable with the basics of AI and to demonstrate its transformative impact in today's times.

The course is simple, practical, and packs in with real-life examples to make learning relatable and fun. The course is available on leading learning platforms—FutureSkills Prime, iGOT Karmayogi, and other popular ed-tech portals. Learners who complete the course will get a certificate from the Government of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here on Wednesday to inaugurate the natural farming summit and he was accorded a rousing reception.

Following his arrival, the prime minister held a roadshow from the airport to CODISSIA (Coimbatore District Small Industries Association) grounds, a distance of approximately 2 kilometers and people and party workers lined up on both sides of the road to welcome him.

Cultural shows were held and people showered flowers on the prime minister's vehicle as he waved to the people acknowledging their greetings.

Sentinel-6B, an Earth-observing satellite jointly developed by NASA and US and European partners, successfully launched on Monday, November 17, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Sentinel-6B has six onboard science instruments that will monitor increasing sea levels and their effects on our home planet. This ocean-tracking satellite will orbit Earth at 7.2 km/s, completing one rotation every 112 minutes.

According to NASA, the satellite will observe the ocean and measure sea level rise to offer information about the planet that will help enhance weather forecasts and flood predictions, as well as public safety and coastal infrastructure.

The Government has announced 26 percent increase in rates for advertisements in Print Media. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in a statement said that media rates for print media per square centimetre for one lakh copies of dailies in the black and white advertisement have been enhanced from 47 rupees 40 paise to 59 rupees 68 paise. The government had constituted the 9th Rate Structure Committee in 2021 for making recommendations regarding revision in rates for Government advertisements in print media. The Ministry added that the government has also agreed to the recommendations of the Committee relating to premium rates to be offered for colour advertisements, preferential positioning.

Increasing the rates for Government advertisements in print media will yield several significant benefits, both for the government and the media landscape. Higher rates for government advertisements will provide essential revenue support to print media, especially in an era of competition from various other media platforms and in view of escalation in cost in the last few years. This can help sustain operations, maintain quality journalism, and support local news initiatives. By boosting financial stability, print media can invest in better content and serve the public interest more effectively. Recognizing the value of print media in a diversified media ecosystem, the government can better target its communications strategies, ensuring that they reach citizens effectively across various platforms.

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) announced two major scientific advancements with significant applications in healthcare and rare-earth research.

DAE, in collaboration with Cologenesis Pvt. Ltd., launched ColoNoX, India’s first nitric-oxide-releasing wound dressing for diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). Developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and clinically validated through Phase II and III trials, the dressing has now received DCGI approval for commercial manufacturing.

DAE Secretary and Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty said the innovation will provide affordable and effective treatment options for diabetic patients and reflects the department’s commitment to applying nuclear science for societal benefit.