Emulating the timeless lines of poet Sohan Lal Dwivedi, "Lahron se dar kar nauka paar nahi hoti, aur koshish karne walon ki kabhi haar nahi hoti" (One cannot cross the sea fearing waves, and those who try never fail), renowned international open-water swimmer Meenakshi Pahuja achieved a historic feat by swimming 17 kilometers across the Arabian Sea. She completed the journey from Rewas Jetty to the Gateway of India in Mumbai in 6 hours and 24 minutes, conquering the challenges posed by ocean currents, jellyfish, sea snakes, and fluctuating temperatures.

Tamil film Maharaja, starring Vijay Sethupathi, has made a significant impact in China, earning approximately ₹16 crore (RMB 13.37 million) at the box office on its first day of release. The movie is the first Indian film to be screened in China following a diplomatic agreement to normalize ties between the two nations after their standoff in eastern Ladakh.

Amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has approved a record-breaking budget for 2025, with $126 billion (13.5 trillion rubles) allocated to national defence. This represents 32.5% of the total government spending and is $28 billion higher than this year’s defence expenditure, according to a report by CNN.