Scripting a monumental journey, historian V. Sriram and Lashman document the 60 years of Blue Cross in their book "Memories and Milestones", which was released by Justice P.N. Prakash, Former judge of Madras High Court and former Special Public Prosecutor, National Investigation Agency, in the presence of Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Animal rights activist, and Environmentalist and A. L. Somayaji, Former Advocate General, Government of Tamil Nadu, who also received the first copy of the book, at a function held here in Chennai on 15th March 2025.

Celebrating Blue Cross and its 60th anniversary, one cannot stop but applaud the achievements of the Sundaram family and all the others who have volunteered and worked for the Blue Cross of India, since its first registration in 1964. The most active animal welfare group in the country that has many firsts to its credit. The first of a new genre of animal protection groups that were concerned with all animals, the one that pioneered some path breaking initiatives like the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, the first time in the world, where the sterilization of street dogs was put forward as a humane approach to control growing dog population, first in the world to begin interactive computer programmes as an alternative to dissection of animals in schools, and the first animal welfare group in India to get the Platinum Level certification for transparency from GuideStar India in 2013.

The Kulasekarapattinam spaceport in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district, the second launch complex for Isro outside Andhra Pradesh, will see the maiden launch with the Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) in 24 months, chairman of the space agency V Narayanan said on Monday.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) SSLV will primarily support polar launches of upto 500 kg, with Indian industry involved in its production.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the first phase of the revamped police academy in Assam’s Dergaon on Saturday, hailing the state government’s decision to name it after storied Ahom general Lachit Barphukan.

The Lachit Barphukan Police Academy, as the Assam Cabinet decided to rename it in 2022, is being refurbished for Rs 1,024 crore. Shah, who is on a three-day visit to Assam and Mizoram, also laid the foundation stone for the next phase.

Stating that once completed, this will become the best police academy in the country, Shah said he appreciated the government’s decision to rename it.

DC vs MI WPL Final 2025: Mumbai Indians won their second Women’s Premier League title in three seasons after defeating Delhi Capitals by eight runs in the WPL final on Saturday. Nat Sciver-Brunt took three crucial wickets for Mumbai, including those of Meg Lanning and Marizanne Kapp to help the team claim victory.

Earlier, Mumbai had managed to set a target of 150 runs, thanks to a 66 from captain Harmanpreet Kaur and a handy contribution from Nat Sciver-Brunt. Harmanpreet and Sciver-Brunt had stabilised Mumbai’s innings initially from 14/2 at one stage. But then, Mumbai threw away four wickets for just 15 runs, including that of captain Harmanpreet, as they went from 103/2 to 118/6. For Delhi, Marizanne Kapp scalped both MI openers early on after Meg Lanning-led Delhi Capitals had asked Mumbai Indians to bat first.

The Delhi Capitals side made a change to their XI — bringing in Shree Charani in place of Titas Sadhu — while Mumbai had an unchanged XI. Delhi were hoping to break their WPL title jinx: the team has now reached the final thrice in as many editions of the WPL and won none.

Three-time Paralympic champion long jumper Vanessa Low of Australia lived up to her top billing as she easily clinched gold in T61-64 class while India's Paris Games medallist Preethi Pal bagged a bronze in T35-38 class 200m race on the concluding day of the World Para Athletics Grand Prix here on Thursday. India finished on top of the medal tally with a total haul of 134 -- 45 gold, 40 silver, and 49 bronze. Around 150 Indians had competed in the Grand Prix while around 100 were from other 19 countries. Vanessa, one of the few top stars taking part in the three-day event, cleared a distance of 4.96m in her third attempt, to stand on the top of the podium.

Zhanna Fekolina, a Neutral Paralympic Athlete, and India's Bhavani Munniyandi took home the silver and bronze respectively with efforts of 4.13m and 3.51m at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here.

NASA and SpaceX on Wednesday delayed the launch of a replacement crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station that would have set in motion the long-awaited homecoming of U.S. astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams.

NASA had been set to launch a SpaceX rocket from Florida carrying a replacement crew for the International Space Station in a mission that would set up the return to Earth of Wilmore and Williams – stuck in space for nine months after a trip on Boeing’s faulty Starliner.

The launch was called off due to a hydraulic system issue with a ground support clamp arm for the Falcon 9 rocket, NASA said in a statement.

Launch teams are working to address the issue, it said in another statement.

NASA said it is now targeting a launch no earlier than 7:03 p.m. EDT (2303 GMT) Friday after mission managers put off a launch attempt on Thursday because of high winds and rain forecast in the flight path of Dragon.

Renowned poet and former bureaucrat Ramakanta Rath passed away, leaving behind a rich legacy in Odia literature.

Born on December 30, 1934, in the Puri district, he studied English literature at Ravenshaw College in Cuttack, where he began writing. After completing his MA in 1956, he joined the Indian Administrative Service and held key positions in both the Central and State governments.

Rath’s first poetry collection, Kete Dinara (Of Many Bygone Days), was published in 1962. Filled with soft romantic emotions and reflective meditative tones, this collection marked the beginning of a new poetry movement in Odia literature, introducing a fresh diction and structure. However, he soon moved away from romantic themes and began exploring deeper aspects of human destiny through poetry.

State-owned Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), The New India Assurance Company and General Insurance Corporation of India (GIC Re) have retained the domestic systemically important insurers (D-SIIs) tag.

The three insurers have been identified as D-SIIs for 2024-25, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) said on the decisions and discussions at its 129th meeting on March 12.

Though it did not elaborate, the insurance regulator previously had said the D-SIIs are subjected to enhanced regulatory supervision. D-Slls refer to insurers of such size, market importance and domestic as well as global inter connectedness whose distress or failure would result in a significant dislocation in the domestic financial system, it had said last year.

Ex-central banker Mark Carney was sworn in as prime minister of Canada on Friday and immediately said he could work with U.S. President Donald Trump, who is promising tariffs that could devastate the Canadian economy.

Carney succeeds Justin Trudeau, who had a combative and often cold relationship with Trump. Carney, 59, made clear his approach would be different.

“We respect President Trump – President Trump has put some very important issues at the top of his agenda. We understand his agenda,” he told reporters after being sworn in, noting he had worked with Trump at international meetings.

“In many respects, part of my experience overlaps with that of the President – we’re both looking out for our countries. But he knows, and I know from long experience, that we can find mutual solutions that win for both,” he said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has announced a new initiative aimed at improving efficiencies at the 80-year-old world organisation and making it more cost-effective. The ‘UN80 Initiative’ will come up with proposals in areas of rapidly identifying efficiencies and improvements in the way the UN works. It will also review the implementation of all mandates given to the UN by member states, which have significantly increased in recent years. While announcing the initiative in New York yesterday, Mr. Guterres said that the world is facing challenges on every front. He also voiced concern over shrinking resources and liquidity crisis amid an environment of uncertainty and unpredictability.