The panel has been impressed by his BBL form, particularly last season, leading to his addition to the squad, says selector Tony Dodemaide.

Spin bowling all-rounder Nikhil Chaudhary, who holds permanent residency in Australia, on Thursday (June 11, 2026) became the first Indian-born male player in over six decades to feature in Australia’s cricket squad when he was named in the T20 side for the upcoming away series against Bangladesh.

The three-match series will be held in Chattogram from June 17 to 21. Chaudhary has been playing for JB Bruges in the EUT20 competition in Belgium and was with the Delhi Capitals in the recent IPL.

He will join Australia’s white-ball outfits in Dhaka on Friday (June 12, 2026).

“The panel has been impressed by his BBL form, particularly last season, leading to his addition to the squad,” selector Tony Dodemaide was quoted as saying by cricket.com.au.

“Nikhil will gain invaluable experience in Bangladesh and will be in contention to play his first game for Australia when we sit down to pick a team for the opening T20 fixture here next week,” he added.

“Australia has had several Indian-origin players feature in international cricket, including Gurinder Sandhu and Tanveer Sangha, but not since the 1960s (when Rex Sellars, a Gujarat-born leg-spinner who featured in the 1964 Calcutta Test) has an Indian-born man played for the national side,” the website stated.

Lisa Sthalekar, who was born in Pune, played women’s cricket for Australia and is counted among the greats of the game. Sthalekar debuted in 2003 and went on to play across formats till 2013.

The 30-year-old Chaudhary is not an Australian citizen yet but being a permanent resident, he “fulfils the International Cricket Council’s eligibility criteria to play for his adopted nation.”

The Delhi-born player showed up for 14 List-A games for Punjab in his country of origin, India.

He was visiting an uncle in Queensland when his stay was extended thanks to a shutdown forced by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. While here, he took up odd jobs, including being a postman before catching the eye of former Australia all-rounder James Hopes, who initiated him into local cricket.

“After helping Hobart to the BBL|14 title, his best season with the bat came last summer, slamming 307 runs at 30.70 and a strike-rate of 153, although he had a reduced role with the ball due to the recruitment of fellow wrist-spinners Rehan Ahmed and Rishad Hossain,” cricket.com.au reported.

Australia T20I squad:

Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Nikhil Chaudhary, Cooper Connolly, Tim David, Joel Davies, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Spencer Johnson, Matthew Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Josh Philippe, Matthew Renshaw, Adam Zampa.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

n a landmark achievement for the Indian Air Force (IAF), Squadron Leader Saanya has become the first woman officer to secure the prestigious Cat-A Qualified Flying Instructor (QFI) qualification, marking a significant milestone in the history of military aviation in India.

The IAF shared the announcement on social media platform X on Monday, hailing the officer’s accomplishment as a proud moment for the force and an inspiration for aspiring pilots across the country.

Air Chief Marshal A P Singh felicitated Squadron Leader Saanya on the occasion. Photographs released by the IAF showed the Air Chief congratulating the officer for her historic achievement.

Praising her dedication and commitment, the IAF stated that Squadron Leader Saanya’s accomplishment reflects perseverance, professionalism, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.

The force further noted that her achievement highlights the increasing contribution of women officers in the aviation sector and is expected to motivate a new generation of aviators to break barriers and aim higher.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

India has successfully conducted the flight trial of an advanced Agni missile equipped with Multiple Independently Targeted Re-Entry Vehicle (MIRV) capability, enabling it to strike multiple targets simultaneously.

The missile was launched from Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Island on Friday and successfully hit different targets spread across a large geographical area in the Indian Ocean Region.

According to officials, the missile system was developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) laboratories with support from industries across the country.

“The telemetry and tracking were carried out by multiple ground and ship-based stations. These systems tracked the entire missile trajectory from lift-off till the impact of all payloads. Flight data confirmed that all mission objectives were met during the trial,” an official statement said.

The successful trial demonstrated India’s capability to engage multiple strategic targets using a single missile system, marking a significant advancement in the country’s defence preparedness.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh congratulated the teams involved in the project and said the achievement would considerably strengthen India’s strategic deterrence capability.

“This will add an incredible capability to the country’s defence preparedness against the growing threat perceptions,” he stated.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Indian journalists Anand RK and Suparna Sharma have been awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for their work exposing digital surveillance and cyber fraud, marking a significant recognition for Indian journalism on the global stage.

The duo won the award in the Illustrated Reporting and Commentary category, sharing the honour with Bloomberg’s Natalie Obiko Pearson. The winners were announced on Monday.

Their award-winning project, titled “trAPPed”, presents a compelling account of a neurologist in India who was subjected to a form of “digital arrest” through her phone. The report combines visual storytelling with in-depth narrative to highlight the growing global threat of surveillance and online scams.

According to the Pulitzer Prizes website, the work was recognised for its “riveting” storytelling that effectively underscores the dangers posed by evolving digital fraud mechanisms.

The Pulitzer Prizes, administered by Columbia University, are among the highest accolades in journalism, literature and music, honouring excellence in reporting and storytelling world.

lsource/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

The shipping behemoth’s move is billed as the largest foreign private investment in domestic port infrastructure in India.

Billed as the largest foreign private investment in the domestic port infrastructure in India, the Switzerland-based Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) Group, the world’s largest container shipping company, will acquire a 49% stake in the Vizhinjam International Seaport in Kerala for $1.397 billion (around ₹13,220 crore).

According to a statement issued by Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Limited (APSEZ) on Tuesday (June 30, 2026), the MSC will make the investment through its container terminal operating and investing arm, TiL. The APSEZ and TiL have entered into an agreement under which MSC Group will invest for 49% interest in Adani Vizhinjam Port Private Limited (AVPPL), the concessionaire for the Vizhinjam port, cementing Vizhinjam’s emergence as a dominant transshipment gateway in the Indian Ocean region.

The partnership is expected to boost the potential of the port, including cargo volumes, although the transaction is subject to customary approvals, including regulatory ones.

According to Ashwani Gupta, Director and CEO, APSEZ, “Vizhinjam port has emerged as a premier transshipment hub, becoming the first Indian port to earn the unique distinction of crossing 2 million TEUs within 18 months of operations.” The APSEZ is confident that the association will deliver enhanced supply chain efficiencies at a global scale and improve India’s access to key global mature and developing markets,” he said.

The strategic collaboration between APSEZ and MSC Group is expected to deliver significant advantages for APSEZ, including greater volume visibility and faster ramp-up ahead of planned expansions, driven by additional cargo volumes. Vizhinjam is also expected to receive a higher share of Bangladesh cargo, largely dependent on competing Southeast Asian transshipment hubs. The collaboration is also expected to strengthen the presence of the port on East Africa trade routes, apart from elevated relay cargo volumes.

Expansion on

Commissioned in December 2024, the Vizhinjam port is India’s first deep-draft mega transshipment port with 1.6 million TEU capacity. The port is undergoing expansion that is expected to increase its capacity by 3.5 times to 5.7 million TEUs by December 2028.

The port features a natural draft of 18-20m, a 2.9-km breakwater, an 800-m berth, and advanced infrastructure, including 8 quay cranes and 24 fully automated yard cranes. As India’s first automated port, Vizhinjam combines cutting-edge container handling systems, and an AI-enabled indigenous Vessel Traffic Management System (VTMS) to drive operational efficiency.

In the first year of commissioning, the port handled 1.3 million TEUs and 615 vessels, becoming the fastest Indian port to cross the 1 million TEU milestone. Within 18 months, it surpassed 2 million TEUs and 950 vessels. In June 2026, Vizhinjam also welcomed its 1,000th vessel.

The port has also handled over 70 Ultra Large Container Vessels (ULCVs) — the highest among Indian ports — along with 283 vessels exceeding 300 m in length and 98 vessels requiring drafts greater than 16 m.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The Andaman and Nicobar Administration on Saturday created a new Guinness World Records milestone by unfurling the world’s largest underwater national flag at Radhanagar Beach.

The massive Indian Tricolour, measuring around 60 by 40 metres, was deployed beneath the sea in a complex and precisely coordinated operation involving multiple agencies and trained divers at Swaraj Dweep.

Lieutenant Governor D K Joshi, Chief Secretary Chandra Bhushan Kumar, and Director General of Police H S Dhaliwal, along with senior officials, witnessed the historic event.

Personnel from the Andaman and Nicobar Police, Forest Department, Indian Navy, and Indian Coast Guard, besides scuba divers from various diving centres, collaborated to execute the intricate underwater unfurling.

At 10.35 am, Rishi Nath, adjudicator from Guinness World Records, officially confirmed the achievement and presented the certificate to the Lieutenant Governor.

Addressing the gathering, Joshi lauded the coordinated efforts and dedication of all teams involved, describing the feat as a significant addition to the islands’ growing list of unique accomplishments.

The administration is set to attempt another Guinness World Record on Sunday — the ‘Tallest Human Stack’ — at the Lighthouse dive site on Swaraj Dweep, with the Lt Governor and senior officials expected to attend.

The achievement underscores the rising prominence of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a hub for adventure tourism, marine activities, and globally recognised events.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Indian Institute of Science (IISc) researchers have developed smart materials which may form the building blocks for next-generation data storage units, quantum processors, and advanced industrial sensors.

These smart materials can change their physical properties in response to light, heat, or mechanical pressure.

Two studies

In two new studies, Abhishek Mondal, an associate professor at the Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit (SSCU), IISc, and his team have reported the synthesis of novel chemical frameworks — highly porous crystals composed of self-assembling metal-organic layers — capable of reversible magnetic switching.

The first study, published in Angewandte Chemie, a journal of the German Chemical Society, solves a long-standing challenge in materials science: achieving robust magnetic switching in 3D beehive-type porous materials, typically used for gas or liquid sensing.

According to IISc, when a target gas or liquid enters or leaves the material, the crystal lattice in the material expands or contracts, stimulating the atoms to switch their magnetic state.

“In traditional porous materials, however, this expansion/contraction is limited because the push/pull force exerted by an atom within the lattice on its neighbours is absorbed by the pores and is restricted to the vicinity of that atom. This limits the efficiency of these sensors because the material does not switch states as a whole,” IISc said.

New chemical complex

It added that to overcome this challenge, Prof. Mondal and his team designed a new chemical complex that is not only highly porous but also has an elastic matrix.

“We are currently working on scaling up the complex to design smart gas-capture sensors that can selectively adsorb industrially critical gases like CH4, CO, and CO2 with supreme sensitivity,” said Prof. Mondal.

Although such materials can be highly useful for environmental and biological sensing, a major bottleneck has been the temperature at which they can operate.

“Our goal was to synthesise a chemical system that exhibits these transitions near ambient temperatures. Contemporary materials often operate only at ultra-low temperatures — below 50K (-223°C). They are highly volatile and relax back to their ground state with even a slight rise in temperature,” said Krishna Kaushik, PhD student at SSCU and first author of both studies.

To address this limitation, in another study published in Small, the team designed a 2D hexagonal framework that achieves light-, heat-, and solvent-induced magnetic transitions near ambient temperatures.

“Modern data centres and electronic devices consume enormous amounts of energy. Developing alternative materials that operate more efficiently could reduce energy demands and contribute to more sustainable technologies. Similarly, materials capable of acting simultaneously as sensors, switches, and memory elements may simplify device architectures and reduce manufacturing costs,” Prof. Mondal said.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

A collaborative project between the Government College for Women (GCW), Thiruvananthapuram and the College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram (CET), has received a design patent for an innovative ergonomic mobile workstation tailored for fish vendors.

The workstation, weighing under 100 kg, is conceived as both a functional shelter and an art installation, which challenges stereotypes of unhygienic and unattractive fish stalls. Its lightweight frame supports a ventilated roof in order to combine practicality with aesthetics while ensuring mobility and flexibility.

The project was jointly executed by MSc Home Science Extension students of the Department of Home Science, GCW, and B.Arch students of the Department of Architecture and Planning, CET, under the supervision of Sithara Balan V, Associate Professor in Home Science and Karthik Mohan, Assistant Professor of Architecture. Both faculty members had represented the Government of Kerala at the FLAIR International Internship in the University of Southampton and Bournemouth University, UK.

The researchers point out that special emphasis was placed on the needs of women vendors, who form the majority in the sector, though the design remains gender-neutral. The workstation was developed using anthropometric measurements collected from 500 fish vendors in Thiruvananthapuram, including standing height, shoulder height, elbow height, hand length, knee height, popliteal height, arm reach and hip breadth. Such data points informed a design that reduces fatigue, enhances safety and accommodates vendors of varying sizes and abilities.

The key benefits of the proposed design include improved working conditions and reduced physical strain, enhanced productivity and efficiency, better display and presentation of fish, reduced waste and improved sanitation, increased security and protection of valuables, easy mobility and adaptability, and the use of sustainable, refurbished and energy-efficient materials.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The visit comes in the wake of the successful exposition of the sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha in Ladakh from May 1 to 14 this year.

Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena will leave for Mongolia on Sunday (June 7, 2026) to accompany the sacred relics of two great disciples of Lord Buddha from Ulaanbaatar to New Delhi following a 10-day exposition in the East Asian nation.

According to officials on Saturday (June 6, 2026), Prime Minister Narendra Modi has nominated Mr. Saxena to lead the Indian delegation accompanying the holy relics on their return journey to India.

The L-G will also attend the concluding ceremony of the exposition in Ulaanbaatar on June 10, after which the relics will be flown back to India in a special aircraft, they said.

The visit comes in the wake of the successful exposition of the sacred Piprahwa relics of Lord Buddha in Ladakh from May 1 to 14 this year.

The 14-day exposition in Ladakh witnessed an overwhelming response, with more than 1.18 lakh devotees paying obeisance to the holy relics, making it one of the largest spiritual gatherings organised in the Union Territory.

The officials said the relic exposition in Mongolia is part of India’s efforts to strengthen civilisational and cultural ties rooted in the shared Buddhist heritage between the two countries.

The return of the relics is expected to mark the culmination of the spiritually significant event attended by thousands of devotees and dignitaries in Mongolia.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The Southern Railway’s Thiruvananthapuram Division has inaugurated India’s longest special train service, marking a historic milestone in the country’s railway operations.

The maiden journey, Train No. 06015, departed from Thiruvananthapuram Central on April 5 at 4:45 pm, bound for New Tinsukia. Covering a massive distance of 4,028 kilometres, the journey is expected to take approximately 83 hours and 45 minutes, with the train arriving in Assam at 4:30 am on the fifth day.

The return service, Train No. 06016, will leave New Tinsukia at 8:00 pm on April 9 and reach Thiruvananthapuram at 7:45 am on the fifth day. The route traverses major railway hubs including Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam Town, Palakkad, Vijayawada, Bhubaneswar, Kharagpur, New Jalpaiguri, and Guwahati, connecting the southern peninsula with the Northeast.

The 22-coach train comprises 2 AC Three-Tier coaches, 18 Sleeper Class coaches, and 2 Second Class coaches designed for accessibility for persons with disabilities (Divyangjan), catering to high long-distance travel demand.

This service significantly enhances connectivity between Kerala and Assam, providing passengers a convenient option for long-haul journeys across the country.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)