Times of India

Hamas militants released three Israeli hostages to the Red Cross in Gaza, exchanged for over 300 Palestinian prisoners. This orchestrated swap saw hostages Sagui Dekel-Chen, Sasha Trupanov, and Yair Horn parading before their release. Concerns remain over both Israeli and Palestinian detainees' treatment. Tensions persist, especially post Trump's controversial Gaza relocation proposal, with the ceasefire's future uncertain as negotiations continue.

Jammu and Kashmir LG Manoj Sinha ordered the dismissal of three government employees for alleged terror activities, including arranging weapons and staging attacks. This decision comes amid heightened efforts to dismantle the terror ecosystem in the region and ensure security.

Anna Muzychuk, Ukraine's top-ranked chess player, is set to compete in Norway Chess Women 2025. She aims to build on her runner-up finish from last year. The tournament features strong contenders like Ju Wenjun and Koneru Humpy. Equal prize money and unique scoring systems add to the competitive excitement. Muzychuk focuses on strategic preparation.

Former cricketer Aakash Chopra advises Team India to focus on chasing targets in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, emphasizing their batting strengths. Despite a diverse bowling lineup, Chopra highlights potential weaknesses and suggests India's batters take on the responsibility of winning games. All matches in Dubai minimize concerns about pitch conditions affecting second-innings performance.

India will start their Champions Trophy campaign on February 20 in Dubai, facing Bangladesh. They have included five spinners in their squad, which has raised concerns about being too spin-heavy. Former off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin suggests that India might have one or two spinners too many in their 15-member squad.

Ravichandran Ashwin emphasizes the need to stop treating Indian cricketers as superstars and urges for normalization in the sport. He believes players should be seen as relatable sportspersons. Ashwin, who recently retired, advocates considering top performances as routine and aims for higher collective goals in Indian cricket.

Aakash Chopra speculates the 2025 Champions Trophy might be the last ICC event for Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja due to the upcoming changes in the Indian team. The trio's participation in future tournaments is uncertain. With the next T20 World Cup in 2026 and ODI World Cup in 2027, the team might look different.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has criticized the Indian government's handling of deportation processes as a second US aircraft with illegal Indian immigrants is set to land in Amritsar. Chidambaram and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann raise concerns over the treatment and landing location, calling it a test for Indian diplomacy.

Iga Swiatek, three-time defending champion, faced a shocking 6-3, 6-1 defeat to Jelena Ostapenko in the Qatar Open semi-finals. Ostapenko's powerful performance marked her fifth consecutive win over Swiatek, halting Swiatek's 15-match winning streak in Doha. Ostapenko advances to the final to compete against Amanda Anisimova for the WTA 1000 title.

The INDIA bloc remains divided over Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann's claim that flights with illegal Indian immigrants landed in Amritsar to defame the state. While some MPs support Mann's view that flights should have landed in other states, others dismiss his assertions as meaningless.

India's Champions Trophy campaign faces a setback with Jasprit Bumrah out due to a back injury, weakening their bowling attack. His replacement, the inexperienced Harshit Rana, and concerns about Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami's readiness add to India's challenges. Former cricketer David Lloyd highlights the difficulties ahead for India's pace attack.

Ranveer Allahbadia approached the Supreme Court to consolidate multiple FIRs against him for controversial remarks. His plea was presented before Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar. Senior lawyer Abhinav Chandrachud represented Allahbadia, emphasizing the need for urgent hearing due to a summon from Assam police.

OpenAI’s board has unanimously rejected Elon Musk's $97.4 billion offer to buy the company. The board emphasized their commitment to ensuring AI benefits humanity and continuing their nonprofit mission, despite Musk’s proposal to revert to a non-profit model and his competition with OpenAI.

Despite criticism, Pakistan's interim coach Aaqib Javed backs Babar Azam to continue to open batting alongside Fakhar Zaman in the absence of injured Saim Ayub. Babar had a poor outing an an opener during the three matches of the tri-series, which saw him accumulating just 62 runs. Pakistan lost the tri-series final against New Zealand.

The Central Vigilance Commission has initiated an investigation into the renovation of Arvind Kejriwal's former official residence, following a report by the CPWD. Meanwhile, a dispute has arisen over the renaming of the Delhi chief minister's official social media handle on X, with allegations of AAP's misuse and BJP's intervention demands.

New Income Tax Bill 2025: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the New Income Tax Bill 2025 in Lok Sabha, set to replace the Income Tax Act 1961. The new bill aims to simplify tax provisions with clearer language, reducing its length and eliminating redundant sections while consolidating related content for easier understanding and compliance.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar countered US Senator Elissa Slotkin's claim that democracy doesn't address hunger, asserting that India's democratic society provides nutrition support to 800 million people. He stressed that the effectiveness of democracy varies globally and emphasized the need for honest discussions on its challenges.

Pakistan faced a setback ahead of the Champions Trophy with a one-sided defeat to New Zealand in the tri-series final on Friday. Former batter Ahmed Shehzad criticized captain Mohammad Rizwan's decisions, aiming at Pakistan's incompetent strategies and team selection. Rizwan’s choice to bat first was particularly questioned.

Several star cricketers will be missing the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy due to injuries, personal reasons, and unexpected retirements. Key players such as India's Jasprit Bumrah, England's Jacob Bethell, and Australia's Pat Cummins lead the list, leaving their teams to find replacements. The absence of these players is expected to significantly impact their teams' performances.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar defended India's robust democracy and electoral process, expressing optimism at the Munich security conference. He mentioned India's high voter turnout and nutrition support provided to 800 million citizens, emphasizing that democracy has delivered tangible benefits in India.