The chess world was rattled in late 2022 when Magnus Carlsen, the current world champion, accused Hans Niemann, a 19-year-old U.S. chess grandmaster, of cheating using a chess-playing artificial intelligence (AI) system. Niemann had defeated Carlsen, prompting Carlsen’s accusation; Niemann asserted that he had defeated Carlsen fairly even though he …

The Tamil Nadu Assembly witnessed dramatic scenes on January 9. When the Governor skipped portions of the address that was prepared and approved by the State Cabinet, including references to political stalwarts from the State and the Dravidian model of governance, Chief Minister M. K. Stalin moved a resolution to …

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) has listed Neelakurinji (Strobilantheskunthiana) under Schedule III of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 including it on the list of protected plants. Those who uproot or destroy the plant will invite a fine of ₹25,000 and three years imprisonment. The cultivation of …

The victory of the AamAadmi Party in the recent Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections has added a fresh backdrop to the unceasing face-off between the Lieutenant Governor of the National Capital Territory and the elected government. Several Governors, who are all too eager to further the Bharatiya Janata Party’s …

Soothsayers seldom read the future correctly, especially in the realm of geopolitics. Quite a few soothsayers, however, were partially right at the beginning of 2022 when they said that uncertainty and impermanence would dictate the course of world events that year. The year did witness a spike in geopolitical challenges …

While there are reports of infrastructure build-up on the Chinese side, what does not come to the fore is what infrastructure has been developed on our side, Army chief General Manoj Pande said on Thursday, stating that there has been “marked improvement” and there are plans for all-weather connectivity and …

The public criticism aired by Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar on the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC) judgment may be seen as comments by a high constitutional authority against “the law of the land”. The Supreme Court has held that its judicial pronouncements lay down the law. Article 141 of the Constitution …

The signing of a multi-million-dollar deal between Xinjiang Central Asia Petroleum and Gas Co and the Taliban in Kabul is being marketed by the latter as its first major economic win since the return of the Islamic Emirate in August 2021. The deal, estimated to be $540 million, gives Beijing …

The Office of the Registrar-General of India (RGI) is following the set of criteria set out by the Lokur Committee nearly 60 years ago to define any new community as a Scheduled Tribe, The Hindu has learnt. Approval of the Office of the RGI is mandatory for the inclusion of any community …

The U.K. and Japan, on Wednesday, signed a defence pact, which will permit the deployment of troops in each other’s countries and increase security cooperation. The move comes as Britain is undertaking a ‘tilt’ towards the Indo-Pacific in its foreign and security policy. “The Reciprocal Access Agreement is hugely significant …