Current Affairs

Smriti Mandhana Breaks Virat Kohli's Record Of Scoring Fastest 100 In ODIs For India

Smriti Mandhana entered her name in the history books on Saturday, September 20, by scoring the fastest century in the 50-over format of the game for Team India. The 29-year-old left-handed batter needed just 50 balls at Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi to reach the 100-run mark against Australia. With her century in 50 balls in the series decider, she broke Virat Kohli’s record.

During the India-Australia ODI match in Jaipur on October 16, 2013, Kohli scored an ODI century for Team India in 52 balls.

The 50-ball century Smriti is also the second-fastest century in the history of women’s ODI cricket.

The world record for scoring the fastest century in women’s ODIs is in the name of former Australian captain Meg Lanning. Lanning scored a century in 45 balls against New Zealand in Sydney in 2012.



ICC unveils official song ‘Bring it Home’ for Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025

The International Cricket Council (ICC) today launched the official event song titled ‘Bring it Home’ for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.

Performed by acclaimed Indian singer Shreya Ghoshal, the song is a high-energy blend of rhythm, melody and emotion and aims to unite fans across the globe.

With catchy hooks like “Tarikita Tarikita Tarikita Dhom” and the heartbeat-inspired “Dhak Dhak, we bring it home”, the song encapsulates the fire and dreams of every woman cricketer stepping onto the world stage.



Super typhoon hits Philippines as thousands evacuate

A super typhoon that caused thousands to be evacuated in the Philippines has "slightly" weakened, according to the country's weather bureau.

Super typhoon Ragasa made landfall over Panuitan Island, one of the Babuyan Islands in the Philippines' northern Cagayan province, at 15:00 local time (08:00 GMT) Monday. Ragasa, packing 285km/h (177mph) wind gusts, is expected to barrel west towards southern China.

Despite its small change in intensity, it still brings a "high risk of life-threatening storm surge", with peak heights exceeding 3m (10ft), the Philippine weather bureau said.

Authorities have warned of widespread flooding and landslides and damage to homes and infrastructure.



CM to launch e-Governance meet in Vizag today; 1,200 delegates to attend

The 28th National Conference on e-Governance (NCeG) 2025 will commence in Visakhapatnam on Monday. The two-day event is jointly organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in collaboration with the Government of AP.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu will inaugurate the conference along with Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who holds the charge of Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, and Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. Deputy Chief Minister K Pawan Kalyan and HRD Minister N Lokesh will attend the inaugural session.

The theme of the conference is ‘Viksit Bharat: Civil Service and Digital Transformation’. Over the course of two days, senior officials, industry representatives, and academicians will discuss innovative approaches to enhance e-governance and service delivery across the country. The programme will include six plenary sessions, and six breakout sessions with around 70 speakers.



DeepSeek-R1 AI model was taught to teach itself to reason

For many decades, one of the great challenges in artificial intelligence (AI) has been teaching machines to reason. Reasoning goes beyond memorising facts or completing sentences. It’s the ability to follow steps, reflect on mistakes, and adjust strategies until the right answer is found.

Humans use reasoning for everything from solving maths problems to writing computer programmes, from negotiating their daily lives to deciding whom to vote for. Large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4 or DeepSeek-V3 have surprised scientists by showing signs of reasoning when scaled to large sizes. Another method, called chain-of-thought prompting, where the model is nudged to “think step by step”, has also boosted performance.



Neeraj Ghaywan's 'Homebound' selected as India's entry for Oscars 2026

Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan's Hindi film "Homebound" was chosen as India's official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards in the Best International Feature category on Friday.

The movie, which was selected in the Un Certain Regard category at the Cannes Film Festival and was recently at the Toronto International Film Festival, was chosen to represent India at the Oscars by the chairperson of the selection committee N Chandra.

Chandra said a total of 24 films from different languages were in contention for representing the country at the Oscars.

"It was a very difficult choice. These were films that touched the lives of people.. We were not judges but coaches. We were searching for players who have made their mark," he said.



Typhoon Mitag Makes Landfall in China’s Guangdong, Brings Heavy Rains and Strong Winds

Typhoon Mitag, the 17th typhoon of this year, made a landfall in south China’s Guangdong Province on Friday. According to the provincial meteorological observatory, the typhoon, with the maximum wind force near its center reaching 25 metres per second, churned ashore at Shanwei City in Guangdong. According to media reports, authorities forecast that Mitag will continue moving to the northwest at a speed of 10 to 15 kilometres per hour and gradually weaken as it moves inland. Earlier, China’s State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters had activated a Level-IV emergency response for south China’s Guangdong Province. Typhoon Mitag was forecast to make landfall along the Guangdong coast between Huilai and Taishan from today afternoon to evening, bringing strong winds and heavy rainfall to most parts of the province. 



10th Ayurveda Day to Be Celebrated on 23rd September in Goa

The 10th Ayurveda Day will be celebrated on 23rd September at the All India Institute of Ayurveda, Goa, marking a historic milestone in the global promotion of traditional Indian medicine. Briefing the media about the Ayurveda day’s celebrations, in New Delhi today, Ayush Minister Prataprao Jadhav said that it is a matter of pride for everyone as India’s traditional medical system is reaching new heights on the global stage.
He added that the government aims to take this heritage of Ayurveda to every individual and contribute to building a healthy India and a healthy world. For the first time, the Ayurveda Day will be observed on a fixed calendar date on 23rd September.

The Minister further highlighted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has brought global recognition to Ayurveda and traditional medical systems. The theme for this year’ Ayurveda Day is Ayurveda for People and Planet, which underscores that Ayurveda is not only important for an individual’s health but also for the well-being of the entire planet.



Oil India, Hindustan Copper Sign MoU for Exploration of Strategic Minerals

Oil India Limited and Hindustan Copper Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Friday to co-operate and collaborate for exploration and development of critical and strategic minerals including Copper and associated minerals. The Ministry of Mines said that this collaboration represents a milestone in the nation’s pursuit of mineral security. Aligning with governments’ National Critical Mineral Mission, this partnership will play a pivotal role in securing strategic mineral resources essential for the nation’s energy security, industrial growth, and technological advancement. 



Zubeen Garg, Ya Ali singer, dies during sea outing in Singapore

Popular Assamese singer Zubeen Garg, who rose to national fame with his superhit song Ya Ali, died during a sea outing in Singapore. The 52-year-old artist was scheduled to perform at the North East Festival on Saturday.

According to sources, while 52-year-old Garg was on a sea outing he fell unwell, and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Doctors placed him under intensive care, but he did not survive. His sudden death has shocked fans and the Assamese community, leaving a deep void in India’s music industry.

Tributes and condolences have been pouring in from across the Northeast, and beyond as people mourn the loss of Assam's OG pop balladeer. He wove raw emotion into every note that defined generations.