1 Amazing performance of Indian bowler Ravindra Jadeja, fifth Indian to take 600 international wickets
Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja on Thursday became only the fifth Indian bowler to reach 600 international wickets across all three formats . The all-rounder achieved the feat in the first ODI against England on Thursday at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur. Jadeja achieved the feat by taking his third wicket in the match, finishing with figures of 3-26 in nine overs as England were bundled out for 248 in 47.4 overs. Jadeja is now part of an elite club of Indian bowlers who have crossed the 600-wicket mark, joining the esteemed ranks of Anil Kumble (953) , Ravichandran Ashwin (765), Harbhajan Singh (707) and Kapil Dev (687).
2 Fort William was renamed as ‘Vijay Durg’
The Kolkata- based Army’s Eastern Command headquarters ‘ Fort William ‘ has been renamed as ‘ Vijay Durg’ . Fort William was built by the British East India Company in the year 1781. This decision has been taken as a tribute to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj . This fort was considered a symbol of the British Empire’s dominance and power over eastern India. It was built on the banks of the Hooghly River so that it could serve as a strong military base.
3 India will get the fourth squadron of S-400 in 2025
India may get the fourth squadron of S-400 air defense system by the end of 2025. The S-400 squadron (fourth) will arrive in India by December 2025. The fifth and final squadron is expected to arrive in 2026. A deal worth Rs 35 thousand crore was finalized between India and Russia in 2018 for five squadrons of S-400 . Out of this, 3 squadrons are deployed on the China and Pakistan border, while 2 are yet to arrive. The S-400 squadron consists of 16 vehicles, including launchers, radars, control centers and support vehicles. It tracks the target 600 km away and the range of hitting the target is 400 km.
4 Australia’s parliament passes tough anti-hate crime law
Australia ‘s parliament passed tougher anti-hate crime laws to tackle a rise in anti-Semitic incidents . This includes mandatory minimum sentences for hate speech and terror crimes. The laws impose a minimum prison sentence of 12 months for less serious hate crimes such as publicly displaying a Nazi salute. It also imposes a six-year prison sentence for those found guilty of terror crimes . The government’s hate crime bill was first introduced to parliament last year. The bill created a new category of offences for violence against people based on race, religion, nationality, national or ethnic origin, political opinion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and intersex status. Meanwhile, the state of New South Wales has seen the majority of anti-Semitic attacks. It will also strengthen hate speech laws already in place in Western Australia and Victoria.
5 Donald Trump signs executive order banning International Criminal Court
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to impose sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). The order accuses the International Criminal Court of taking illegal and baseless action by targeting the US and its close ally Israel. The order states that financial and visa sanctions will be imposed on those people and their families who help in ICC investigations of citizens of the US and its allies. Trump’s order states that the US or Israel do not fall under the jurisdiction of the ICC. The order also states that the ICC has set a dangerous precedent by its action against both countries. The US and Israel are neither members of the ICC nor do both countries recognize the ICC.
6 India will launch Chandrayaan-4 mission in 2027
India will launch the Chandrayaan-4 mission in 2027. Its purpose will be to collect samples from the surface of the moon and bring them back to Earth . Chandrayaan-4 will include at least two separate launches of the heavylift LVM-3 rocket that will carry five different components of the mission. These will be assembled in orbit. Last year, PM Narendra Modi’s cabinet approved the Chandrayaan-4 mission, which will be completed in 36 months. The government has provided a fund of Rs 2104.06 crore for this mission . This includes Chandrayaan-4 spacecraft, two LVM-3 rockets and space network and design verification to maintain continuous contact with Chandrayaan-4.
7 Using salt with high sodium is dangerous, WHO warns and also suggests alternatives
Using salt with high sodium content can be harmful for health . The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned about this. Earlier also, the organization had issued a guideline stating that an average of five grams of salt should be consumed in a day . WHO has issued a new guideline for sodium-rich salt. The new guideline of the World Health Organization is considered very important for Indians. WHO has appealed to people to eat salt with less sodium. The guideline talks about using potassium-rich low-sodium salt instead of normal table salt in food. It is worth noting that this is only for adults and healthy people. At the same time, children, pregnant women and people with kidney problems have been advised to eat normal salt.
8 Delhi International Leather Expo (DILEX) 2025 to be held on 20-21 February at Yashobhoomi
Council of Leather Exports (CLE) is organizing the Delhi International Leather Expo (DILEX) 2025 on February 20-21 at Yashobhoomi, ICC Dwarka , New Delhi . DILEX is a premier B2B event designed to provide a strong platform to manufacturers and exporters to showcase their latest collections, innovations and capabilities to international buyers who are looking for viable sourcing options. In sync with the “ Make in India ” and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, DILEX 2025 is committed to boost exports, create jobs and strengthen India’s presence in global markets.
9 Australian cricketer Marcus Stoinis retires from ODIs
Australian cricketer Marcus Stoinis retired from ODI cricket on 6 February just before the Champions Trophy . Now Stoinis will not participate in the Champions Trophy. However, Stoinis will continue to play for the Australian team in T20 cricket. He was part of the Durban Super Giants team in the SA20 League going on in South Africa, but suffered a hamstring injury in the last match. Stoinis has been part of the Australian team that won the ODI World Cup in 2023. In ODIs, he scored 1,495 runs as well as took 48 wickets. Stoinis gave his career best performance in 2017 by playing an unbeaten innings of 146 runs against New Zealand in Auckland. He was the ODI Cricketer of the Year for the team in the year 2018-19.
10 Abhishek Sharma became the second highest batsman in ICC T20 rankings
Indian opener Abhishek Sharma has reached number-2 in ICC’s T20 rankings . After a good performance against England, Abhishek jumped 829 rating points . Travis Head is at the top of this ranking and Tilak Verma is at number three . Varun Chakraborty has gained three places in the T20 bowling rankings and now he has come from 5th to 3rd position (705 rating points). At the same time, England’s Rashid Khan is second with 705 points and West Indies’ Akil Hussain (707 points) is at the first position. There is no change in the top-10 of the T20 all-rounders rankings and India’s Hardik Pandya remains at number one with 251 rating points.
