Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday commissioned the Haldia Bulk Terminal (HBT) and formally dedicated it to the nation.

Designed to handle dry bulk cargo at an annual capacity of 4 MMTPA, the terminal is a fully automated bulk facility on the Hooghly River with direct rail connections - a structural upgrade for bulk cargo movement through India's eastern maritime corridor.

"The Haldia Bulk Terminal is a next-generation facility that brings full mechanisation and direct rail evacuation to the Hooghly, setting a new benchmark for efficiency on India's eastern seaboard. By eliminating jetty dumping and lowering cargo loss through advanced automated systems, we are ensuring cleaner, safer and more sustainable operations. The terminal will play a pivotal role in strengthening industrial supply chains of West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, while supporting the Prime Minister's vision of lowering logistics costs through modern multimodal infrastructure," said Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and CEO, APSEZ.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched various development projects worth 23,550 crore rupees from Silchar in Assam today. Mr Modi performed the ‘Bhumi Pujan’ or ground breaking ceremony for three projects at Ambikapur in Silchar. These are, Silchar High-Speed Corridor at a projected cost of 22 thousand 8 hundred and 64 crore rupees, Silchar Town Flyover at a projected cost of approximately 565 crore rupees, and the Patharkandi Agricultural College at a projected cost of one hundred 22 crore rupees.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Modi said, southern Assam’s Barak Valley is emerging as a crucial bridge to connect India with Southeast Asia, while accusing the Congress of neglecting the region for decades after Independence. He said that North East is now leading India’s Act East Policy. Addressing the public gathering in Silchar, the Prime Minister said the Barak Valley once served as an important trade centre but lost its strategic advantage due to decisions taken during the Congress era. He alleged that despite ruling the country and the state for decades, the Congress failed to focus on the development of Barak Valley.

Madhu Malhotra, the veteran actress who had worked in movies like 'Satte Pe Satta', 'Hero', and more, passed away on March 13. She was 71. The cause of her death has not been disclosed yet. As per the reports, her funeral took place at the Oshiwara Crematorium in Mumbai on March 14.

Madhu Malhotra has featured in several movies during the 1980s and the 1990s. She was a known face in the Hindi cinema of that era.
Malhotra marked her debut with Ramsay Brother's movie 'Andhera' in 1975. She started doing mainstream cinema after featuring in Shakti Samanta's film 'The Great Gambler' in 1979. In the movie, she played the sister of Amitabh Bachchan's character, Jay.

India concluded its campaign at the World Boxing Futures Cup 2026 in Bangkok with a haul of five medals — one gold, three silver, and one bronze — highlighting the steady progress of the country’s youth boxing programme on the international stage. Leading the charge was Chandrika Pujari, who delivered a commanding performance in the women’s 51 kg final to defeat Uzbekistan’s Mardonova Nazokat with a unanimous decision.

Competing in the Youth Olympic weight categories, the Indian U-19 men’s and women’s team showcased assured performances against strong international opponents, with half the contingent returning home with medals.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will celebrate the achievements of Indian cricket stars and contributors at the prestigious Naman Awards 2026, scheduled to take place in New Delhi today. At this year’s ceremony, cricket legends Roger Binny and Rahul Dravid will receive the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honour given by the BCCI for exceptional service to Indian cricket. Meanwhile, former India women’s captain Mithali Raj will be honoured with the BCCI Lifetime Achievement Award for Women in recognition of her remarkable impact on women’s cricket.

Apart from lifetime honours, the Naman Awards will recognise outstanding performances during the 2024-25 cricket season. India’s Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill will receive the Polly Umrigar Award for Best International Cricketer (Men) for the second time, while Smriti Mandhana will win the Best International Cricketer (Women) award for the fifth time in her career. In domestic cricket, Mumbai’s Ira Jadhav will receive the Jagmohan Dalmiya Trophy for Best Woman Cricketer (Domestic) after an impressive season. Shafali Verma will be honoured as the Best Woman Cricketer in Senior Domestic One-Day tournaments.

In the World Para Athletics Grand Prix 2026, India delivered an exceptional performance on Day 2 of the event in New Delhi, winning 12 golds and securing multiple podium finishes across track and field events, including several clean sweeps of the podium.

The highlight of the day came in the Men’s Javelin Throw, where Paralympic champion Sumit Antil led an all-Indian podium. Antil clinched gold with a powerful throw of 69.25 metres, while Pushpendra Singh secured silver with 56.91 metres and Poonam Ram won bronze with 49.48 metres. India also dominated the Men’s 400 metres Run T13, with Subodh Bhatt winning gold in 51.88 seconds, followed by Priyanshu Kaushik with silver in 53.19 seconds and Avnil Kumar claiming bronze in 56.91 seconds.

In the Men’s 400 m Run T46/T47, Bhavikkumar Din Bharwad secured gold with a time of 49.89 seconds, while fellow Indian Jasbeer finished close behind to take silver in 50.09 seconds. India continued its dominance in the wheelchair category of the Men’s 400m Run T53/T54, sweeping the podium with Manojkumar Sabapathi winning gold in 54.33 seconds, Anil Kumar taking silver in 57.57 seconds, and Manikandan Jothi securing bronze with a time of 1:01.94.

As the lights come up on the 98th Academy Awards, the season reaches its final act with one of the most unpredictable Oscar races in recent memory. Months of precursors — from the Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards to the key guilds and the BAFTAs — have shaped a volatile field where no single film has fully consolidated momentum, leaving several major categories genuinely open as the envelopes are read.

Ryan Coogler’s period horror Sinners enters the night with a record-breaking 16 nominations, the most ever received by a single film in Academy history, surpassing the previous benchmark of 14 held by All About Eve, Titanic and La La Land. Its closest competitor is One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson’s sprawling political thriller, which follows with 13 nominations and has dominated much of the critics and guild circuit.

At the 98th Academy Awards, Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans’ animated musical action comedy, KPop Demon Hunters won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. The award was announced at Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles, California.

The film triumphed over Zootopia 2, Little Amelie or the Character of Rain, Arco and Elio to win the Oscar.

KPop Demon Hunters follows K-pop superstars Rumi, Mira and Zoey, who also secretly protect the world from evil spirits. After winning the award, Maggie said in her speech, “Thank you to the Academy and to all fans who got us here, and for those of you who look like me. I’m so sorry that it took us so long to see us in a movie like this. But it is here. And that means that the next generations don’t have to go longing. This is for Korea and for Koreans everywhere.”

About 92 inmates of Jalpaiguri Central Correctional Home (JCCH) in West Bengal were infected with the Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) between August 20, 2025 and March 9 this year, with seven of the infected inmates losing thier lives due to the infection, prompting alarm among district health and correctional administration officials.

Documents accessed by The Hindu show that during this period, four inmates from the correctional home died at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital, while three deaths were reported at Jalpaiguri District Hospital.

An official said that while several patients have recovered, almost half of the 92 inmates affected by HSV-1 and HSV-2 had to be either segregated or put under treatment at State-run health facilities.

Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal today participated in the 12th Asian and Pacific Regional Conference organised by the All India Prosecutors’ Association in New Delhi. In a social media post, the Minister said during the conference, discussions were held with legal experts, prosecutors and other distinguished participants.

The discussion focused on key issues, including reforms in the judicial system and strengthening the prosecution mechanism. The Minister said that the government is promoting innovation in the judicial sector through the use of technology and institutional reforms to make the justice system more transparent, accessible and effective. He added that continuous efforts are being made to ensure that justice is delivered swiftly and remains accessible to all citizens.