Bharat Electronics Limited and Safran Electronics and Defence of France today signed a Joint Venture Cooperation Agreement in New Delhi, for the production of Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) Smart Precision Guided Air-to-Ground Weapon.

Ministry of Defence said that the agreement will localise the manufacturing, supply and maintenance of HAMMER to meet the operational needs of the Air Force and Navy.

It is informed that the indigenisation level will progressively increase up to 60 per cent with key sub-assemblies, electronics and mechanical parts being manufactured locally.

In Nagaland, the Dr Talimeren Ao Junior Girls National Football Championship 2025-26 (Tier-2) got underway at the Chümoukedima Football Stadium yesterday. The first match was played among the Group B teams. In the opening matches yesterday, Punjab defeated Andaman and Nicobar, 20-Nil, while host Nagaland lost to Uttarakhand, 1-3.

Nagaland is hosting the national football tournament for the first time. Earlier, addressing the inaugural session, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio lauded the All India Football Federation’s decision to rename the event after Indian footballer and physician from Nagaland, Dr T Ao, calling it fitting tribute to his legacy in Indian football. He said it celebrates the unity, strength, and spirit of Indian sports through the participation of talented young players from across the country. Mr Rio said the championship showcases the growing strength and confidence of young women driving the rise of women’s football in India.

In Squash, Indian prodigy Anahat Singh defeated her senior compatriot Joshna Chinappa to win the women’s title at the Indian Open in Indore yesterday. The top seed and India’s number one women’s squash player, Anahat, won the final against her more experienced and unseeded opponent 3-2 (11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 6-11, 11-9) in 54 minutes.

In the semifinals, the 17-year-old Anahat edged out Irish third seed Hannah Craig 3-2, while unseeded veteran Joshna rallied to beat Egyptian second seed Nadien Elhammamy 3-1.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved the largest three-year budget in Dubai’s history, with total expenditure of AED302.7 billion ($82.4 billion) and projected revenues of AED329.2 billion ($89.6 billion) for the 2026-2028 cycle.

The plan supports the emirate’s long-term goals of sustainable economic growth, strengthened public services and enhanced global competitiveness.

For 2026, expenditure stands at AED99.5 billion ($27.1 billion), with expected revenues of AED107.7 billion ($29.3 billion), including AED5 billion ($1.36 billion) allocated to general reserves.

The spending plan dedicates 48 per cent to infrastructure development, 28 per cent to social sectors such as health, education and housing, and 18 per cent to security and safety. Dubai’s Department of Finance forecasts an operating surplus of up to 5 per cent of projected GDP for 2026.

India today sent off its contingent for the WorldSkills Asia Competition 2025. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said that 23 candidates will take part in the competition to be held in Chinese Taipei from the 27th of this month.

Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Jayant Chaudhary participated in the send-off ceremony and said that the government is committed to empowering talent that can compete, collaborate, and contribute to the vision of becoming Skill Capital of the World.

Expressing confidence in the Indian contingent, he said that the participants have undergone months of rigorous training under the mentorship of experts and the unwavering support of our Sector Skill Councils.

In an interconnected and geopolitical world, with global prosperity being a common goal, the latest 2025 Commitment to Development Index (CDI) notes that countries are giving less finance for international development.

The index, published by the Centre for Global Development, a non-profit think tank based in Washington, DC and London, evaluates a country’s overall commitment to development through eight policy components: development finance, exchange policies on investment, migration and trade, and global public goods in the areas of environment, health, security and technology.

Topping the rankings this year, Sweden retains its two-time position on CDI 2025. The Scandinavian country ranks first in environment, second in development finance, and fourth in health, although it witnessed weak performance in technology

Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy, Pralhad Joshi, today inaugurated the pellet plant and laid the foundation stone of the K2 Bio Ethanol plant in the district of Rewari in Haryana.

The pellet plant will produce 240 tonnes of pellets per day from stubble and help in a clean environment. The plant aims to transform crop residue into ethanol, biomass pellets and rural jobs to support India’s E20 Mission and Net Zero 2070 goals.

Talking to the media after the inauguration of the pellet plant, Mr Joshi said that under the new policy, the government has mandatory biomass and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) co-firing for all thermal plants to save the environment. He added that earlier, crop waste was a burden for farmers as well as the environment, but now it is being used as pallets in thermal plants, which is profitable for farmers.

Italy won its fourth Davis Cup title with a 2-0 victory over Spain, sealing a third straight championship on home soil. Matteo Berrettini and Flavio Cobolli delivered in the singles, giving Italy an unbeatable lead in yesterday’s final.

Italy is the first team after the United States to win three consecutive Davis Cups. In yesterday’s final, Berrettini defeated Pablo Carreno Busta 6-3, 6-4, before Cobolli fought back to beat Jaume Munar 1-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5 to secure the title.

The Indian women’s kabaddi team clinched the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup in Dhaka, defeating Chinese Taipei 35–28 in the final to secure a second straight title. India maintained an unbeaten run through the tournament and beat Iran 33–21 in the semifinal.

Chinese Taipei also entered the final without a loss, overcoming host Bangladesh 25–18 in the last four.

Former India captain Ajay Thakur said the performance reflected the progress in the women’s game. “Retaining the World Cup is a proud moment for India. The team’s dominance highlights how far women’s kabaddi has evolved in recent years. Hosting the event in Bangladesh also shows the sport’s growing reach.”

The Sixth International Agronomy Congress (IAC-2025) will commence in New Delhi from the 24th of this month. Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will inaugurate the event. The three-day event will feature plenary sessions, thematic symposia, lead lectures, poster presentations, an exhibition, and a dedicated Young Scientists and Students’ Conference.

The Ministry of Agriculture and farmers’ Welfare said that the event is expected to witness the participation of over one thousand global delegates and will serve as a platform for world-class scientific discourse. Experts from several international organizations along with Vice Chancellors of agricultural universities, ICAR Deputy Directors General, industry representatives and leading agri-business innovators are expected to attend the event.

The theme for IAC-2025 is ‘Re-envisioning Agronomy for Smart Agro-Food Systems and Environmental Protection’ which highlights the urgent need to create future-ready agricultural systems that are more productive, climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable and nutrition-secure.