Around 613 Afghan migrant families returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran between February 21-28, local media in Kabul reported on Saturday.

The data cited by Afghanistan's Amu TV revealed that Iran expelled 501 families while Pakistan deported 112, either forcibly or voluntarily.

Earlier this week, speaking to TOLO news, representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal stated that over 2.1 million Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan in 2024

Vadodara Rural Police in Gujarat cracked down on an illicit liquor smuggling operation in Desar taluka, seizing foreign liquor worth Rs 15 lakh hidden beneath a load of vegetables in a tempo car.

The Desar Police intercepted the vehicle near Pandu village, acting on a tip-off, and discovered a large consignment of liquor meant for notorious bootlegger Dinesh Parmar from Nava Sihora. Authorities have intensified efforts to apprehend the absconding bootlegger.

The police team, led by Desar Police Inspector, was on patrol when they received intelligence about a tempo transporting illegal liquor under the guise of carrying vegetables. The vehicle was en route from Pandu to Nava Sihora when the police set up a roadblock near a local dargah.

A new railway line from Assam’s Kokrajhar to Gelephu in Bhutan has been proposed to improve cross-border connectivity and strengthen bilateral ties, officials said here on Saturday.

The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that the Indian Railways is actively advancing towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of the ‘Act East Policy’ and ‘Neighborhood First Policy’.

“Under these policies, several new railway projects are being undertaken to enhance connectivity with neighboring countries,” he said.

The executive board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has announced that it has completed the Third Review under the 48-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) with Sri Lanka, providing the island nation with an immediate access to Special Drawing Rights (SDR) of SDR 254 million (about US $334 million) to support its recovery from the 2022 bankruptcy.

The IMF stated that Lanka's performance under the programme has been strong and the recent successful completion of the bond exchange is a major milestone towards restoring debt sustainability. Reform efforts are bearing fruit with the recovery gaining momentum, it said. As the economy is still vulnerable, sustaining the reform agenda is critical to put it on a path towards lasting recovery and debt sustainability.

The statement added that the IMF board completed the third review under the 48-month Extended Fund Facility (EFF) Arrangement, allowing the authorities to draw SDR 254 million (about US $334 million). This brings the total IMF financial support disbursed so far to SDR 1.02 billion (about US$1.34 billion)

Digital payments and financial services major Paytm on Saturday said it will seek resolution of alleged FEMA contraventions related to two acquired subsidiaries — Little Internet Private Limited (LIPL) and Nearbuy India Private Limited (NIPL).

The company clarified in a stock exchange filing that certain alleged contraventions are attributable to these subsidiaries for transactions during a period before they became part of Paytm.

The allegations stem from a show-cause notice (SCN) received by Paytm from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on February 28, 2025, related to alleged violations under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (FEMA) for transactions between 2015 and 2019.

Delhi Capitals have won the toss and elected to bowl first against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) in the 14th game of the tournament at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday. Both teams head into the clash having made only one change. The Delhi Capitals brought in Nallapureddy Charani in place of Titas Sadhu, whereas RCB included Ekta Bisht for Prema Rawat.

The team fielding first has won 12 out of the 13 games so far this season. The two sides have met six times in WPL history, including the final of the 2024 edition, in which RCB prevailed. Overall, Delhi hold a 4-2 advantage in the head-to-head series.

The mutual fund industry has seen significant growth in assets under management (AUM) -- from Rs 5.89 lakh crore in May 2008 to Rs 53.4 lakh crore in March 2024, a report showed on Saturday.

The steady increase in the share of mutual funds in Indian household savings, from 7.6 per cent in FY21 to 8.4 per cent in FY 23, is a testament to the industry’s growing relevance and the faith that investors have reposed in it, according to the report by the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), along with Crisil.

The mutual fund industry has played a pivotal role in empowering Indian households and investors to be a part of the country’s growth story, providing a platform for wealth creation and financial inclusion.

As part of the 100 Days Intensified Campaign on TB Elimination under the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, the Chandigarh Health Department organized a Walkathon at Sukhna Lake, Chandigarh to raise awareness about Tuberculosis (TB) and encourage community participation in the fight against the disease. The Walkathon was flagged off by Dr. Sushil K. Mahi, Medical Superintendent, GMSH-16, Chandigarh, along with Dr. Paramjit Singh, DMS, GMSH-16, and Dr. Rajesh Rana, State TB Officer, Chandigarh.

The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from around 250 students from various colleges, who carried banners and posters to spread awareness about TB. The primary objective of the Walkathon was to promote awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage public engagement in the nationwide effort to eliminate TB. During the event, students actively distributed pamphlets containing vital TB-related information, including symptoms of TB, services provided by the Government of India, details about Nikshay Shivirs, the 100 Days TB-Free India Campaign, and the role of Nikshay Mitras in supporting TB patients.

Kenyan emergency teams, comprising defence forces and volunteers, have intensified efforts to contain fires sweeping across some of the country's largest wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas.

An update from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), released late on Friday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, said that the raging infernos in multiple wildlife parks and other biodiversity hotspots are linked to a severe dry spell.

Active firefighting efforts are ongoing at Nairobi National Park, where two fires erupted on Thursday, KWS said, adding that water bowsers are on-site to help extinguish the flames.

In Aberdare National Park, located in central Kenya, wildfires were reported earlier this week, prompting KWS to deploy helicopters and ground teams to respond to the disaster, which has been linked to extremely dry weather in the country.

In a major blow to trans-border smuggling in Punjab, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has apprehended two drug smugglers and recovered 4 kg heroin from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday.

Those arrested have been identified as Karanpal Singh (37) and Ranjit Singh (36), both hailing from border villages situated in the jurisdiction of Khem Karan in Tarn Taran district.

Apart from recovering a big haul of heroin, police teams have also impounded their motorcycle, which they were riding.