Times of India

2025 was a year of profound loss, marked by a series of devastating events across India and globally. From deadly stampedes at religious gatherings and railway stations to a catastrophic earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand, the year witnessed widespread tragedy.

Vande Bharat sleeper train has touched the 180 kmph speed mark during speed trials by the Commissioner Railway Safety. The new train set is a sleeper variant of the popular Vande Bharat chair car service and is set to be launched soon.

Magnus Carlsen lost his Round 14 game by forfeit at the World Blitz Championship in Doha after knocking over multiple pieces while under severe time pressure against Haik Martirosyan. The incident, his second outburst at the event, further dented his title hopes. Carlsen now sits fifth, struggling in Blitz despite recently winning a record sixth World Rapid title, as Arjun Erigaisi leads the standings.

Not to White Castle specifically, but to a sort of ‘white castle’: where you are so integrated and assimilated that you are considered a beacon of society, an upstanding member of the Shining City on the Top of The Hill. A place where your faith was acceptable as all the other faiths that existed in the American tapestry.

Without any ceremony, 44 minutes after MS Dhoni finished his post-match press conference following the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the BCCI sent out a press release. The news came an hour after India had managed to draw an away Test — the first time in the previous 14 Australia-India Tests that the visiting team had not lost.

Smriti Mandhana was rested for India’s fifth T20I against Sri Lanka as the hosts made two changes despite leading the series 4–0. Captain Harmanpreet Kaur confirmed Mandhana and Renuka Singh Thakur were given a break, with 17-year-old G Kamalini making her debut and Sneh Rana returning. Sri Lanka won the toss and opted to bowl in Thiruvananthapuram.

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will attend the funeral of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia in Dhaka. Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered Zia's significant contributions to Bangladesh's development and India-Bangladesh relations, recalling a warm meeting in 2015. Zia, a pivotal figure in restoring democracy, passed away at 80 after a long political career.

Eurostar has halted all services due to a critical power supply issue in the Channel Tunnel, exacerbated by a stalled Le Shuttle train. This has led to widespread cancellations and severe delays, impacting travelers during the busy post-Christmas period. Passengers are urged to reschedule journeys as disruptions are expected to persist.

.

Thirty-one-year-old skeet shooter Gurjoat Siingh Khangura won his maiden national title at the 68th National Shooting Shotgun Championship in Delhi, capping a year of technical changes and setbacks. Calling it just the beginning, Gurjoat sees the gold as a boost toward international selection, Asian Games goals and World Cup medals, stressing discipline, maturity and India’s rising skeet standards.

Meta Superintelligence Lab (MSL) is actively hiring in Singapore, bolstering its team with the acquisition of AI agent company Manus AI. This expansion follows recent layoffs of approximately 600 employees, a move intended to increase efficiency and accelerate progress towards superintelligence. Despite workforce adjustments, Meta reaffirms its commitment to investing in AI talent and ambitious compute plans.

Economist Dean Baker criticizes Mark Zuckerberg's $77 billion Metaverse investment as a "stupid" decision, arguing it represents a societal cost by diverting resources from productive uses like affordable housing. Meanwhile, Meta is aggressively pursuing AI, acquiring startup Manus to bolster its chatbot and compete with rivals.

World No. 1 Magnus Carlsen once again found himself in the spotlight, not for his chess moves, but for his angry reaction at the board. The incident happened on Monday during the World Blitz Championship in Doha, after Carlsen lost to India’s Arjun Erigaisi. Chris Bird, the arbiter who was on duty during the game, later explained what happened.

Despite vast deserts, Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbours rely on imported construction-grade sand to meet the demands of mega-projects like NEOM and the Burj Khalifa. Desert sand’s smooth grains are unsuitable for concrete, making riverbed and marine sand essential. This reliance highlights a global sand crisis, environmental pressures, and the urgent need for sustainable alternatives and innovation in construction materials.

Pakistan's senior hockey players are threatening to boycott the upcoming FIH Pro League phase due to a payment dispute. Players allege they received significantly less daily allowance than promised for matches played in Argentina. The Pakistan Hockey Federation cites the Pakistan Sports Board's USD 40 daily allowance policy as the reason for the discrepancy.

Chinese state media, Global Times, has criticized Salman Khan's upcoming film 'Battle of Galwan,' accusing it of distorting facts about the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. The movie, inspired by the deadly confrontation, features Khan as an Indian Army officer. Despite the film's portrayal, the PLA remains resolute in defending China's territory, according to the publication.

Shreyas Iyer’s return to competitive cricket has hit a roadblock, with the India ODI vice-captain yet to receive the required clearance from the BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE).

India has emerged as the world’s fourth-largest economy, overtaking Japan, and is projected to challenge Germany for the third spot within the next three years. The government remains confident about sustaining growth momentum despite global trade uncertainties.