The Ministry of Defence has signed contracts for the procurement of 1,868 Rough Terrain Fork Lift Trucks (RTFLT) at a total cost of Rs 697.35 crore for the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

RTFLT is a critical equipment which will assist in various combat and logistics support tasks by avoiding manual handling of the enormous number of stores and thus enhancing the operational effectiveness of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

The “Buy Indian” order will enhance national defence equipment manufacturing capabilities.

This project has immense potential for direct and indirect employment generation by encouraging MSME sector through component's manufacturing.

The procurement marks a pivotal step towards modernising India's defence infrastructure and empowering indigenous industries, which will be a proud flag-bearer of 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat', according to a Defence Ministry statement.

Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami became the fastest Indian bowler to pick 200 wickets in men’s ODIs when he clinched 5-53 in the 2025 Champions Trophy Group A match against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.

Ahead of the match, skipper Rohit Sharma had said he wasn’t bothered by Shami's picking just one ODI wicket in the two matches he played against England earlier this month and expressed confidence in him delivering for the team on a big occasion.

Rohit’s words were made true by Shami when he got his 200th ODI scalp in the form of Jaker Ali, who toe-ended a slog off a wide slower ball to long-on in the 43rd over. It meant Shami reached the milestone in 104 matches, overtaking current chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s record of reaching the 200 wickets mark in 133 matches.

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was on Thursday assured of cooperation in governance by leaders of the two Opposition parties AAP and the Congress, who also sought early release of monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for the city's women.

Former Delhi Chief Minister and AAP legislator from the Kalkaji seat, Atishi congratulated CM Gupta and her Cabinet ministers for taking oath of office on Thursday.

Atishi also said, “I demand that the BJP government’s Cabinet pass the scheme to give the promised monthly amount (Rs 2,500) to all women of Delhi."

Veteran pacer Mohammed Shami stepped up to come good in ICC tournaments yet again by picking his sixth five-wicket haul in ODIs as India bowled out Bangladesh for 228 in 49.4 overs in a Group A match at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday. On a slow pitch, Shami was the standout bowler for India, striking in the first 10 overs and at the back end to take his fifth five-for in an ICC ODI tournament. He was well-supported by Harshit Rana taking 3-31, while Axar Patel took 2-43, though he missed his hat-trick.

India were a little sloppy in the field and a bit flat in the middle overs, resulting in Towhid Hridoy and Jaker Ali leading Bangladesh’s superb recovery from 35/5 to 228 through a dogged 154-run partnership.

While Jaker made 68 off 114 balls, Hridoy made his first century in international cricket through a 118-ball knock as the duo gave their bowlers a fighting total to defend. Shami provided the first breakthrough for India when he got the ball to seam in and take the inside edge of Soumya Sarkar’s attempted drive, with K.L. Rahul taking a simple catch.

The Roller Flour Millers Association of Punjab on Thursday asked the Centre to resolve the wheat supply crisis being faced by the industry in the state.

The association, which represents the wheat processing industry, organised an awareness workshop here on issues which will add value to enhancing the profitability and legal compliance of the industry.

The function was presided over by Principal Secretary, Food & Civil Supplies, Vikas Garg.

Former India batter Navjot Singh Sidhu said that the upcoming Champions Trophy clash between India and Pakistan in Dubai on Sunday is going to be the "mother of all battles".

The veteran commentator added the team that will perform better under pressure has the chance of winning the blockbuster encounter.

"It is the mother of all battles. There’s nothing bigger than this. I think it's the tension that holds everybody together. When 150 crore people expect a win from you, they will never swallow a defeat. There is a culture of retribution. This game is played more between the ears than between the hands - it's a psychological battle. There’s plenty of nervous energy floating around, but the side that converts it into positive energy is the side that will win," Sidhu said on a special episode of JioHotstar’s Greatest Rivalry Returns.

In yet another sign of thawing ties between the two countries, a Chinese diplomat on Thursday hailed India's ascent in the Asia Power Index that was released last year.

"India has become the 3rd most powerful and influential country in Asia, after the US and China," Yu Jing, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, posted on X citing the 2024 Asia Power Index by Australia's Sydney-based Lowy Institute.

The report released in September 2024 had placed India as the third-most powerful nation in Asia, behind only the United States and China, highlighting India's remarkable improvement in various categories, particularly in Diplomatic Influence, which surged due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's increased international engagements.

As India overtook Japan to grab the third spot in the Asia Power Index, several leaders attributed the country's ascent to PM Modi's visionary leadership and global strategy.

Pakistan have been fined five percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate during their opening encounter against New Zealand in the tournament opener at the National Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday. The penalty was imposed after Mohammad Rizwan’s side was found to be one over short of the required rate despite time allowances being considered.

"Pakistan have been fined 5 percent of their match fee for maintaining a slow over-rate against New Zealand in the opening match of the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025 on Wednesday," ICC said in a statement.

Andy Pycroft, a member of the ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees, handed down the sanction under Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. As per ICC regulations, players are fined five percent of their match fee for each over their team fails to bowl within the allotted time.

Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh for presenting a “directionless” Budget bereft of a road map for the development of the state and a document silent on fulfilling the ruling BJP’s manifesto promises.

The SP chief accused the “double engine" governments of the BJP in UP and at the Centre of committing a “double blunder” and leaving sugarcane growers frustrated despite their long wait for a hike in the procurement price.

Accusing UP's Budget 2025-26 of lacking “clarity”, Akhilesh Yadav said, “It’s a hollow Budget which is high on noise and gimmickry… but they call it the biggest Budget each time they present the figures.”

“The Budget bag is empty, offering nothing for the public who don’t even know that it has been presented,” he said, addressing media persons.

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has announced that potato growers will now benefit from the Bhavantar Bharpai Yojana.

An official spokesperson said on Thursday that an outstanding Rs 46.34 crore for 2023-24 has been disbursed among farmers under the scheme.

In addition, farmers have been advised that if potato prices fall, they should consider storing their crops in cold storage to safeguard their produce and income.

The government introduced the Bhavantar Bharpai scheme, an initiative aimed at making farmers in the state risk-free.

The primary objective of the scheme is to protect farmers from financial losses due to a decline in selling prices in the wholesale markets.