NewsBytes

Indian Navy's Russian-manufactured guided missile frigate INS Tamal that carries an array of missiles and surveillance systems will be commissioned into the force at Russia's coastal city of Kaliningrad on July 1. The ship has 26 per cent indigenous components, including the BrahMos long-range cruise missile for targeting both at sea and land, officials said. The 125m long, 3900-tonne warship, packs a lethal punch as it features an impressive blend of Indian and Russian cutting-edge technologies and best practices in warship construction, according to the Indian Navy. Upon commissioning, Tamal will join the 'Sword Arm' of the Indian Navy, the Western Fleet. It will not only be a symbol of Indian Navy's growing capabilities, but also exemplifying collaborative strength of the India-Russia partnership, Indian Navy spokesperson Commander Vivek Madhwal said. INS Tamal would be the eighth Krivak class frigates to be inducted from Russia over the past two decades. The warship has been built at Yantar shipyard in Kaliningrad, and is the last such platform to be inducted from a foreign source, the officials said.

The annual ‘Ambubachi Mela' at Kamakhya temple, atop the Nilachal hill in Guwahati, commenced on Sunday with around 12 lakh devotees expected to attend the religious event till June 25, officials said. The mela is held for four days in June every year when the temple doors are closed, coinciding with the ritualistic menstrual cycle of Goddess Kamakhya.  “Today marks the beginning of the #Ambubachi Mahayog, an annual celebration of Maa Kamakhya's divine femininity. Spiritual Gurus and devotees from across the country will dawn upon the sacred Nilachal Hills to pray for Bharat,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on X.  “I welcome all pilgrims to Assam & wish everyone a divine experience and the choicest blessings of Maa Kamakhya,” he added. Temple authorities said the doors were closed at 2.56 pm on Sunday with the start of ‘prabritti', and worship will resume after 3.19 am on Thursday morning, after ‘nribritti'.

Fred Smith, the FedEx Corp. founder who revolutionised the express delivery industry, has died, the company said. He was 80. FedEx started operating in 1973, delivering small parcels and documents more quickly than the postal service. Over the next half-century, Smith, a Marine Corp. veteran, oversaw the growth of a company that became something of an economic bellwether because so many other companies rely on it.  Memphis, Tennessee-based FedEx became a global transportation and logistics company that averages 17 million shipments per business day. Smith stepped down as CEO in 2022 but remained executive chairman. Smith, a 1966 graduate of Yale University, used a business theory he came up with in college to create a delivery system based on coordinated air cargo flights centred on a main hub, a "hub and spokes" system, as it became known. The company also played a major role in the shift by American business and industry to a greater use of time-sensitive deliveries and less dependence on large inventories and warehouses.

Myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is as complex as its name is difficult to pronounce. It's sometimes referred to as simply “chronic fatigue”, but this is just one of its symptoms. In fact, ME/CFS is a complex neurological disease, recognised by the World Health Organisation, that affects nearly every system in the body. The name refers to muscle pain (myalgia), inflammation of the brain (encephalomyelitis), and a profound, disabling fatigue that rest can't relieve. However, the illness's complexity – and its disproportionate impact on women – means ME/CFS has often been incorrectly labelled as a psychological disorder. ME/CFS affects people of all ages but is most commonly diagnosed in middle age. It is two to three times more common in women than men. While the exact cause is unknown, ME/CFS is commonly triggered by an infection.  The condition has two core symptoms: a disabling, long-lasting fatigue that rest doesn't relieve, and a worsening of symptoms after physical or mental exertion. This is known as post-exertional malaise. It means even slight exertion can make symptoms much worse, and take much longer than expected to recover.