Morning Digest: BJP, Congress spar over USAID fund allocation; EAM Jaishankar says India, China worked hard to protect G-20, and more

The Hindu Morning Digest gives a select list of stories to start the day. Read the top news today on February 22, 2025

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday (February 21, 2025) called India an emerging global powerhouse that required world-class leaders who can find solutions to global needs and complexities in every sector. At the same time, these leaders must keep the country’s interest at the forefront for an accelerated growth momentum, he added. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (February 21, 2025) dismissed media reports claiming — as a “cover-up attempt” — that the $21-million USAID fund allocation in 2022 was for Bangladesh and not for India, and accused Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhiand the Congress party of being involved in “anti-India” activities.

India and China have “worked hard to preserve” the G-20 organisation, said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday (February 21, 2025) during talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G-20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting at Johannesburg in South Africa. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said the shared cultural heritage of Indian languages would give a befitting reply to those making efforts to create divisions in the country in the name of languages.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday (February 21, 2025) issued an adjudication order levying a penalty of over ₹3.44 crore on BBC World Service (WS) India, along with a fine of ₹5,000 per day after October 15, 2021, till the date of compliance, for the alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) provisions, according to agency sources.

On February 16, a Nepali student was found dead in her room. Angry students began protesting on campus, demanding justice for her and alleging that the university had ignored complaints of harassment. When tensions escalated, the university evicted more than 500 Nepali students from the university.

A New Jersey man was convicted Friday of attempted murder and assault for stabbing author Salman Rushdie multiple times on a New York lecture stage in 2022. A jury found Hadi Matar, 27, guilty after a little less than two hours of deliberations following a trial in Chautauqua County Court.