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India crosses ‘major power’ threshold in Asia Power Index

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India has officially entered the ranks of Asia’s major powers, according to the 2025 edition of the Asia Power Index released by Australian think tank Lowy Institute. With a comprehensive power score exceeding 40 points — the threshold for “major power” status — India now firmly holds the third place in the power hierarchy, behind only China and the US. This marks the second consecutive year India has been ranked third, after overtaking Japan in 2024. However, while India’s gains are steady, analysts note that the gap with China continues to widen, underscoring the challenges ahead in realising New Delhi’s long-term vision of a multipolar world order.India’s economic and military capabilities showed clear improvement this year. The index noted strong GDP growth, rising international investment inflows and an improved perception of India’s geopolitical relevance, including connectivity and technology.

India’s ranking for economic capability rose to third place, surpassing Japan, while its score for economic relationships improved for the first time since the index’s inception in 2018.

Foreign investment was a key driver, with India overtaking China as the top destination for inward investment after the US, reflecting global efforts to diversify supply chains and India’s growing appeal as an investment hub.

On the defence front, India’s military capability improved modestly, bolstered by favourable expert assessments and the success of Operation Sindoor, conducted in May 2025, which added to India’s operational experience.

However, as per the key findings of the think tank, India’s defence networks — a measure of military partnerships and alliances — weakened, with its ranking dropping to 11th place, behind the Philippines and Thailand.

Despite advances in hard power, India continues to underperform in influence, as reflected in its expanding power gap score — the divergence between its resource potential and actual influence in the region. Diplomatic relationships and defence ties have not kept pace with India’s growing resources.

Names of researchers, places from Kerala approved for naming Martian features

Names of researchers and places from Kerala have been approved for geographic features on Mars -- among these is a 3.5-billion-year-old crater that will be named after pioneering geologist M S Krishnan, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) has announced. "The IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature has approved the names Krishnan, Valiamala, Varkala, Thumba, Bekal, Krishnan Palus, and Periyar Vallis for seven features on Mars," the announcement dated November 24 reads. Krishnan was the first Indian to serve as the Director of the Geological Survey of India in 1951. "Once names are approved by the IAU WGPSN, they can be used on maps and in publications," Ramasamy Venugopal from the IAU's Office of Astronomy for Development said. Located in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, Valiamala is home to the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, to which researchers who proposed the names for Martian landforms were affiliated with.

• The crater named after the place is located west of the Krishnan crater.
• Varkala is a coastal municipality and a suburb in Thiruvananthapuram, well-known for its beach. The crater named after Varkala has been marked within the Krishnan crater, according to the IAU's website.
• The Thumba crater, about 19 kilometres in diameter, has been marked south-east of the Krishnan crater and is named after the place where the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) took birth in 1962.
• The Bekal crater, under five kilometres in diameter, is located east of the Krishnan crater and is named after a town, known for its 17th-century coastal fort. 

Spain reports first African swine fever cases since 1994 in wild boar

Spain has detected its first cases of African swine fever since 1994 after two wild boar found dead near Barcelona tested positive for the virus, the agriculture ministry said on Friday. The ministry said it has notified the European Union and activated emergency measures in the affected area, urging pig farms to tighten security measures while investigators probe the source of the infection. The African swine fever does not infect humans, the ministry said.