In a post on X, the Chief Minister lauds Praggnanandhaa’s brilliant performance and wishes him success in his future endeavours.

Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar and Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Saturday congratulated Grandmaster Praggnanandhaa on becoming the first Indian to win the prestigious Norway Chess Tournament.

In a post on X, Lok Bhavan, quoting Mr. Arlekar, said the Norway Chess Tournament was one of the most demanding competitions in the world of chess, testing endurance, intellect, and composure at the highest level. This remarkable achievement by Mr. Praggnanandhaa is a matter of immense pride for Tamil Nadu and the nation. His dedication, perseverance, and brilliance continue to inspire countless young minds across India, he said.

In a post on X, Mr. Vijay said Mr. Praggnanandhaa had created history by becoming the first Indian to win the Norway Chess 2026 tournament with his brilliant performance. He has achieved the remarkable feat of defeating defending champion Magnus Carlsen twice in a single tournament and securing four consecutive victories, Mr. Vijay said, while wishing him success in his future endeavours.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Varun Anish Reddy Yeruva, an IT professional hailing from Hyderabad and working at Amazon, USA, has published a patent titled ‘Adaptive workflow execution control system using hybrid rule-based and Artificial Intelligence decision fusion with dynamic weighting’.

The system is designed for workflow management in distributed computing environments. It combines rule-based decision methods with Artificial Intelligence-based predictive analytics.

The design includes a meta-decision controller that integrates both outputs using dynamic weighting. The system adjusts execution parameters based on performance feedback, and is intended to improve workflow scheduling, resource allocation, dependency handling, and compliance with service-level agreements in large-scale computing systems.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

 India has emerged as the world’s second-largest importer of major weapons with an 8.2 per cent share of global arms imports, according to the latest data released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). War-hit Ukraine topped the list with a 9.7 per cent share of global arms imports during the latest assessment period.

Despite continuing to modernise its military capabilities amid evolving regional and global security challenges, the report notes a gradual decline in India’s defence imports alongside a rise in indigenous production.

Between 2019 and 2023, India accounted for around 9.8 per cent of global arms imports, placing it at the top of the list. However, recent estimates indicate that the share has declined to about 8.3 per cent.

The data also highlight changing patterns in India’s defence procurement. Russia continues to remain the largest supplier, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of India’s arms imports.

Meanwhile, France has emerged as the second-largest supplier with around 29 per cent share, largely driven by major defence deals such as the procurement of Dassault Rafale fighter jets. With India and France working on a proposal to acquire 114 more Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force, France’s share in India’s defence imports is expected to increase further.

Israel is the third-largest supplier, contributing about 15 per cent of India’s arms imports. Defence cooperation between India and Israel has expanded significantly in areas such as missiles, drones and surveillance systems.

The rise of France and Israel in India’s import mix has reduced Russia’s earlier dominance. According to earlier SIPRI analyses, Russia’s share in India’s arms imports has steadily declined from more than 70 per cent in the early 2010s as New Delhi diversified its procurement sources and strengthened defence partnerships with multiple countries.

The report reflects India’s efforts to balance the modernisation of its armed forces while pursuing self-reliance in defence manufacturing through indigenous production and technology collaborations.

Globally, the arms trade landscape has also shifted due to geopolitical tensions. Ukraine’s surge to the top position has largely been driven by massive military assistance from Western countries following its ongoing conflict with Russia.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Goyal Veparala was part of the ensemble as Hallel Music School celebrated the achievement at the ‘Guinness Achievers Meet’.

A Hyderabad-based man, head of an infotech company, has secured a place in the Guinness World Record for participating in the world’s largest electronic keyboard ensemble organised by the Hallel Music School.

Goyal Veparala, currently serving as chief operations officer at Firstrate Infotech Pvt. Ltd., was part of the ensemble as Hallel Music School celebrated the achievement at the ‘Guinness Achievers Meet’ held recently in Gachibowli, Hyderabad.

The record-setting event took place on February 2, 2026, in Hyderabad under the supervision of Guinness World Records representatives. More than 2,000 keyboard players from 22 countries participated and performed continuously for one hour. From among them, 777 talented participants were recognized for their outstanding keyboard performance and secured a place in the Guinness World Record.

Hallel Music school is a music education organization based in Andhra Pradesh, India. The school focuses on community music training and has been involved in large scale collaborative musical events. The school is also associated with free music training for thousands of students who would have otherwise not had the resource or opportunity to learn music.

Augustine Dandingi, founder of Hallel Music School, personally felicitated Goyal Veparala and fellow achievers by presenting them with Guinness World Record participation certificates.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

India has sent a humanitarian shipment of 1,000 metric tons of rice to Malawi to help the country cope with a severe food shortage triggered by drought linked to the El Niño phenomenon. The move reflects New Delhi’s continued commitment to supporting nations in the Global South and strengthening South–South cooperation.

The consignment was dispatched from Nhava Sheva Port and is aimed at assisting Malawian communities affected by the ongoing food crisis. Sharing the development on X, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said the initiative highlights the India–Malawi partnership in promoting food security.

Malawi is currently grappling with a serious humanitarian situation, with more than four million people — nearly 20 percent of the population — facing acute food shortages. The situation has led to rising malnutrition and forced many families to skip meals.

The crisis has largely been attributed to the El Niño weather pattern, which has caused irregular rainfall and prolonged dry spells across the country. The drought has also resulted in the shrinking of key water bodies, including Lake Chilwa, worsening agricultural losses and water scarcity. In response, the Malawian government has declared a national state of disaster.

India and Malawi maintain friendly bilateral relations, supported by regular high-level engagements and development cooperation. In October last year, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar congratulated George Chaponda on his appointment as Malawi’s Foreign Minister and expressed optimism about expanding ties between the two nations.

Chaponda was appointed by Malawi’s President Peter Mutharika following the formation of the new government. Jaishankar noted that Chaponda’s close association with India could further strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Relations between the two countries also received a boost during the 2024 state visit of Droupadi Murmu to Malawi. During the visit, President Murmu met her Malawian counterpart Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and held discussions aimed at deepening cooperation across multiple sectors.

The visit also saw the signing of several Memorandums of Understanding covering areas such as arts and culture, youth affairs, sports, and pharmaceutical collaboration.

While in Malawi, President Murmu paid tribute at the National War Memorial, honouring soldiers and civilians who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars and other conflicts. She also laid a wreath at the Kamuzu Mausoleum, the resting place of the country’s first president, Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Under the agreement, the consortium will provide end-to-end marine services, including tugboat operations for LNG carriers, offshore logistics and supply support, and crew transfer services.

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (APSEZ) on Monday (June 8, 2026) said it has secured a 10-year marine services contract for Argentina’s first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) export, marking its entry into South America and expanding its international marine services footprint.

The company in a statement said the contract has been awarded to APSEZ’s step-down subsidiary, Adani Harbour International FZCO, through a consortium with Argentina-based Meridian Group, following a global competitive tender process conducted by Southern Energy SA (SESA).

The award strengthens APSEZ’s presence across international energy logistics value chains and underscores its growing capabilities in specialised marine services, it added.

Under the agreement, the consortium will provide end-to-end marine services, including tugboat operations for LNG carriers, offshore logistics and supply support, and crew transfer services.

The project will be supported by four high-specification tugboats, one anchor handling tug supply vessel and one crew boat.

Ashwani Gupta, Whole-time Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), APSEZ, said, ” With marine operations in 12 countries and a growing fleet of marine assets supporting ports, LNG terminals, national oil companies, refineries and offshore facilities, we bring deep operational expertise to complex maritime environments.”

“By combining these capabilities with strong local partnerships, we are helping create reliable maritime ecosystems that enable new energy trade corridors and strengthen long-term supply resilience,” he added.

APSEZ said Argentina is emerging as a major new LNG supplier, with agreements in place to support exports of up to 10 million tonnes (MT) annually to India from 2027.

The Southern Energy FLNG project is expected to play an important role in connecting this growing supply base with global demand centres.

According to the statement, The Southern Energy FLNG project is being developed by SESA, a joint venture between Golar LNG and Pan American Energy (PAE).

Located in the San Matias Gulf in Argentina’s Ri­o Negro Province, the project will liquefy natural gas from the General San Martin pipeline aboard the Floating Liquefied Natural Gas (FLNG) vessel Hilli Episeyo, with commercial operations expected to begin in September 2027.

In its first phase, APSEZ said the project is expected to produce 2.45 MT of LNG annually, equivalent to approximately 28 cargoes per year, making it Argentina’s first operational LNG export project.

The contract will be executed through Meridian Transportes Marítimos SA, a 51:49 joint venture between Adani Harbour International FZCO and Meridian Group, the company added.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The Indian Navy is set to commission its advanced anti-submarine warfare vessel INS Anjadip in Chennai, a move expected to significantly bolster India’s coastal defence preparedness.

INS Anjadip is the third of eight ships being built under the Navy’s Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft (ASW-SWC) project. The vessel has been constructed by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata.

According to an official release issued on Wednesday, the 77-metre-long warship has been designed to operate in complex littoral zones — coastal and shallow waters crucial to India’s maritime security. Equipped with a high-speed water-jet propulsion system, the vessel can achieve a top speed of 25 knots, enabling swift response and sustained near-shore operations.

Dubbed a “Dolphin Hunter”, INS Anjadip’s primary role is to detect, track and neutralise enemy submarines in coastal waters. The ship is fitted with an advanced indigenous anti-submarine warfare weapons and sensor suite, including the hull-mounted sonar ‘Abhay’. It is also armed with lightweight torpedoes and anti-submarine warfare rockets, enhancing its capability to counter underwater threats.

Chief of the Naval Staff Dinesh K Tripathi is scheduled to preside over the commissioning ceremony on Friday.

The warship is named after Anjadip Island, located off the Karwar coast in North Karnataka in the Arabian Sea. Its induction is expected to strengthen the Navy’s ability to safeguard India’s extensive maritime interests, particularly along the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coasts.

Apart from its core anti-submarine role, INS Anjadip is capable of undertaking coastal surveillance, low-intensity maritime operations, and search-and-rescue missions, making it a versatile addition to the Navy’s expanding fleet.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Major Barak, currently serving with the United Nations mission in Lebanon, has been honoured with the award for her outreach efforts with women and girls during her deployment in the West Asian nation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (June 7, 2026) congratulated Major Abhilasha Barak on being conferred the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award and said the honour is a recognition of her exemplary service and also of India’s longstanding contribution to the United Nations peacekeeping efforts.

Major Barak, currently serving with the United Nations mission in Lebanon, has been honoured with the award for her outreach efforts with women and girls during her deployment in the West Asian nation.

She is also the first woman combat helicopter pilot of the Indian Army.

“Congratulations to Major Abhilasha Barak on being conferred the UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award,” Mr. Modi said in a post on ‘X’.

The Prime Minister said Major Barak is serving as an Engagement Team Commander and Gender Focal Point within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

“This honour is a recognition of her exemplary service and also of India’s longstanding contribution to United Nations peacekeeping efforts. Her achievement is also an inspiration to countless young Indians, especially our daughters, who aspire to serve the nation and humanity,” he said.

Each year, the awardee is selected from among candidates nominated by force commanders and heads of mission from all peace operations, according to UN Peacekeeping.

India is among the largest troop and police contributing countries to UN peacekeeping missions.

As of February 2026, UNIFIL’s force consists of 7,538 peacekeepers from 48 troop-contributing countries, including 642 personnel from India, the fourth highest after Italy (784), Indonesia (756) and Spain (660).

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

In a remarkable public response, chants of “Bharat Mata ki Jai” echoed inside the coaches of the Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) as the high-speed train network recorded its highest-ever single-day ridership, crossing the one lakh mark on its first full day of operations along the complete Delhi–Meerut corridor.

The milestone came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the entire 82-km corridor along with the Meerut Metro link, marking the commencement of commercial services across the full stretch.

According to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), which is executing the project, the ridership was expected to cross one lakh with the last train departing at 10 pm on Monday — the highest recorded so far since the phased launch of the corridor.

Visuals from Begumpul station in Meerut portrayed a festive atmosphere, with large crowds assembling from early morning to experience the rapid transit service. Families, youth and elderly commuters were seen clicking selfies and capturing moments inside the trains and across the spacious station premises.

In several videos circulating online, passengers were heard raising patriotic slogans during their maiden journey. Some commuters showered flower petals as the train approached the platform, while others waved cheerfully, reflecting the celebratory mood surrounding the launch.

Despite the heavy turnout, queues remained orderly at ticket counters and entry gates. Station personnel were seen guiding first-time passengers and explaining safety measures and boarding procedures.

On Sunday, the Prime Minister flagged off the remaining sections — the 5-km stretch between Sarai Kale Khan and New Ashok Nagar in Delhi and the 21-km extension from Meerut South to Modipuram in Uttar Pradesh — thereby completing the entire alignment.

Engineered for speeds of up to 180 kmph, the Namo Bharat trains are expected to drastically cut travel time between Delhi and key urban hubs such as Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, Modinagar and Meerut. The corridor is being viewed as a transformative step towards strengthening regional connectivity and easing traffic congestion in the National Capital Region.

Officials noted that the unprecedented response on the first full day reflects strong public confidence in the high-speed transit system and signals a new chapter in India’s urban mobility landscape.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)