The fast-moving outbreak, which has also spread to neighbouring Uganda, is caused by the rare and deadly Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus. WHO’s Health Emergency Alert and Response Operations Director, Dr Abdirahman Mahamud, told reporters in Geneva that as of 8 June in DRC, there have been 550 confirmed cases and 101 deaths. 

“The good news [is], we have 19 cumulative recovered patients, so early identification and treatment save lives,” he said.

Speaking from Bunia in Ituri Province, which accounts for 94 per cent of total cases in the country, Dr Mahamud explained that the rise in confirmed cases “is due to the scale-up of testing”. More decentralized labs have opened to accelerate analysis of suspected Ebola samples, including a fully functional facility in Mongbwalu, he said. 

Uganda has reported 19 confirmed cases including two deaths, as well as one probable individual who has died. WHO said that there is no evidence of community transmission in Uganda so far. 

Remote chance

In DRC as of 6 June, 5,040 contacts had been identified and were under follow-up across Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu provinces. The ramp-up in contact tracing has enabled health workers to reach 62 per cent of the contacts so far, with hopes of reaching the 90 to 95 per cent target “in the coming weeks”, Dr Mahamud said. He described making “slow and steady progress” based on building trust and working with the community.

The WHO official stressed that local healthcare workers play an essential role in early identification and referral of cases to treatment centres. He described the current set-up as “a well-functioning system that’s integrated from surveillance to contact tracing to the treatment centre and to the lab”, along with efficient data sharing.

Still, major challenges remain, including in remote locations with limited connectivity, from where samples may take eight hours to reach a lab.

“Ituri is as big as France,” Dr Mahamud said. “If you are in Bunia, you can get your result in one or two hours”, whereas for places further away from testing facilities, the process can take 24 hours. 

In a positive development, in remote Aru close to the Ugandan border, where samples have to travel for 10 hours by road for testing, a lab will be operational by Friday, he said. 

So far WHO has set up field laboratories in five affected areas to enable testing closer to the epicentre of the outbreak. Working with partners in support of Government-led efforts, the UN health agency has deployed over 100 personnel to the DRC, delivered 40 tonnes of equipment and medical supplies, and helped set up Ebola treatment centres.

India’s push toward next-generation autonomous warfare capabilities has received a major infrastructure boost with the establishment of a dedicated aerospace testing and integration centre for the ambitious Ghatak stealth combat drone programme.

The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA), operating under the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), is setting up a specialised Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre in Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh’s Sri Satya Sai district. The facility is expected to become operational within a year and will serve as the central hub for assembling, integrating, validating, and flight-testing India’s premier indigenous Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (UCAV), the Ghatak.

Defence officials describe the upcoming complex as one of the most advanced aerospace testing facilities planned in the country. It is expected to play a critical role in shaping the future of the Indian Air Force’s unmanned combat aviation fleet by consolidating multiple stages of development and operational testing under one roof.

The centre will focus on integrating complex onboard systems, evaluating mission-critical software, validating stealth technologies, and testing autonomous flight capabilities. It will also support future projects linked to artificial intelligence-driven aerial combat systems and next-generation autonomous platforms.

The Ghatak project, previously conceptualised under the Autonomous Unmanned Research Aircraft (AURA) programme, represents India’s most ambitious attempt to develop a domestically designed stealth strike drone capable of penetrating heavily defended enemy airspace without risking human pilots.

The programme is being jointly developed by the ADA and the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), combining expertise in aerodynamics, stealth shaping, avionics, autonomous systems, and propulsion technologies.

The new testing centre in Puttaparthi is expected to significantly accelerate the programme’s transition from prototype development to operational deployment. Defence analysts believe the facility could eventually evolve into India’s primary hub for advanced unmanned aerospace systems.

The Ghatak programme has already crossed several major technological milestones over the past few years. One of the most important breakthroughs came through the successful development and testing of the SWiFT, or Stealth Wing Flying Testbed, a scaled-down demonstrator designed to validate the drone’s unique tailless flying-wing aerodynamic configuration.

The SWiFT demonstrator proved the viability of the flying-wing layout, which is central to achieving low radar visibility. The aircraft’s design eliminates traditional vertical tail structures and smoothly blends the wings into the fuselage, dramatically reducing radar reflections and improving stealth performance.

The flying-wing architecture places the Ghatak in the same category of stealth-focused designs used in some of the world’s most advanced unmanned combat platforms. Such designs are specifically intended to penetrate dense air defence networks while remaining difficult to detect by enemy radar systems.

India’s stealth drone ambitions received a substantial strategic push in March 2026 when the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved a massive ₹39,000 crore procurement plan for 60 Ghatak combat drones under the Remotely Piloted Strike Aircraft (RPSA) initiative.

The clearance marked a turning point for the programme, signalling the government’s intention to move beyond experimental development and toward eventual induction into operational military service.

Military planners view the Ghatak as a potentially transformative capability for future warfare, particularly in contested environments where traditional manned aircraft face increasing risks from advanced air defence systems.

The drone is expected to undertake deep strike operations, intelligence gathering, suppression of enemy air defences, and precision attacks against strategic targets. Its autonomous and semi-autonomous mission capabilities are intended to reduce pilot exposure while enabling sustained operations in hostile territory.

A major focus of the programme has been stealth optimisation. To minimise radar detection, engineers are designing the aircraft with extensive use of carbon-fibre prepreg composite materials. Defence officials estimate that nearly 80 to 90 percent of the airframe will consist of these advanced composites.

Beyond reducing overall weight, the composites help absorb and scatter radar waves, significantly lowering the drone’s radar cross-section. This allows the aircraft to maintain a low-observable profile while operating inside heavily monitored airspace.

The Ghatak’s propulsion system is also tailored for stealth operations. The aircraft is expected to be powered by a modified “dry” version of India’s indigenous Kaveri turbofan engine, capable of generating approximately 49 kilonewtons of thrust.

Unlike conventional fighter engines equipped with afterburners, the dry-engine configuration reduces thermal emissions, thereby limiting the drone’s infrared signature. Lower heat output is critical for survivability against modern infrared tracking and missile systems.

The absence of an afterburner also improves fuel efficiency, enabling longer endurance missions. Defence experts estimate that the drone will be capable of remaining airborne for five to eight hours depending on mission parameters and payload configuration.

Weighing between 13 and 15 tonnes, the Ghatak has a physical footprint broadly comparable to India’s Light Combat Aircraft Tejas. However, the operational philosophy behind the aircraft differs fundamentally from conventional fighter platforms.

Instead of relying on a human pilot, the Ghatak is being designed around advanced autonomous systems capable of executing complex flight operations with minimal direct intervention. Sophisticated onboard computers will process mission data, manage navigation, coordinate target engagement, and adapt flight behaviour in real time.

The aircraft is also expected to feature varying degrees of human supervision, allowing commanders to retain operational oversight while benefiting from rapid autonomous decision-making during combat scenarios.

Its projected operational ceiling of around 30,000 feet would enable the drone to perform long-range strike missions while remaining outside the engagement range of certain short-range air defence systems.

To preserve stealth characteristics, all weapons will be carried internally rather than mounted externally on pylons. The internal weapons bays are expected to accommodate up to 1.5 tonnes of precision-guided munitions, including smart bombs, air-to-surface missiles, and potentially future stand-off weapons.

Internal weapon carriage is considered essential for maintaining low radar visibility, as external stores can dramatically increase radar reflections and compromise stealth performance.

The establishment of the Puttaparthi Core Integration and Flight Testing Centre is expected to streamline the entire development pipeline by centralising critical testing and integration activities. Engineers and defence scientists will be able to conduct aerodynamic evaluations, software integration, stealth validation, avionics calibration, and autonomous systems testing at a single location.

This integrated approach is expected to reduce development timelines and improve coordination between multiple agencies and industrial partners involved in the programme.

The facility could also strengthen India’s broader aerospace ecosystem by supporting future projects involving autonomous combat aircraft, collaborative drone operations, and AI-enabled warfare technologies.

Defence experts believe the infrastructure being built for Ghatak could eventually support the development of “loyal wingman” drones — autonomous aircraft designed to operate alongside manned fighter jets during combat missions.

Such systems are increasingly viewed as the future of aerial warfare, allowing air forces to deploy unmanned platforms for reconnaissance, electronic warfare, decoy operations, and precision strikes while reducing risks to pilots.

The Ghatak programme is therefore seen not merely as a standalone drone project but as a foundational step toward a larger indigenous ecosystem of autonomous military aviation.

India’s indigenous defence aviation sector has reached another important milestone as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) officially confirmed that the prototype of its Rotary Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, designated RUAV-200, has been fully assembled and has now entered the critical ground testing phase ahead of its maiden flight.

The pilotless helicopter, widely referred to as a “Mule Drone,” is being developed to transform logistics operations for the Indian armed forces, especially in difficult mountainous regions where conventional supply operations remain dangerous, weather-dependent, and operationally expensive.

The RUAV-200 project represents a significant collaboration between HAL, Defence Research and Development Organisation through its Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), and Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. Together, the organisations are attempting to bridge a long-standing operational gap in India’s high-altitude military logistics network.

Classified as a High-Altitude Logistics Drone (LD-HA), the RUAV-200 has been specifically engineered to autonomously transport supplies, ammunition, equipment, and emergency payloads to remote forward military posts situated in harsh environments such as the Himalayan frontier. The drone is expected to play a particularly valuable role along elevated border regions where human-operated helicopters face extreme risks from thin air, turbulent winds, icing conditions, and limited landing zones.

According to company officials, the aircraft has now progressed into an intensive series of ground evaluations designed to validate all major systems before the first flight attempt is authorised. Engineers are currently assessing engine reliability, rotor synchronisation, avionics integration, and communication stability. The testing campaign also includes verification of the autonomous flight control architecture that will allow the drone to operate independently during missions.

These tests are regarded as mandatory safety and performance benchmarks before HAL proceeds toward hover trials and full airborne evaluations.

One of the most technically distinctive aspects of the RUAV-200 is its coaxial twin-rotor configuration. Unlike traditional helicopters that utilise a single main rotor paired with a tail rotor, the RUAV-200 employs two large rotors mounted on the same axis that rotate in opposite directions.

This architecture provides several advantages for high-altitude military operations. By eliminating the tail rotor, the drone achieves greater stability and improved control during hover operations, particularly in unpredictable mountain wind conditions. The absence of a tail boom also reduces the overall footprint of the aircraft, enabling it to land in compact, uneven, or unprepared locations close to front-line troops.

The coaxial design additionally improves lifting efficiency in thin air conditions, a factor considered crucial for operations above 5,000 metres where conventional rotorcraft often experience severe performance degradation.

Powering the RUAV-200 is a petrol-driven aviation engine believed to be based on a lightweight rotary Wankel configuration. The engine is integrated with advanced onboard flight management systems designed to maintain consistent performance despite freezing temperatures and reduced atmospheric density encountered in high-altitude regions.

At the centre of the aircraft’s autonomous capability is a sophisticated digital flight control suite. The drone has been engineered to independently perform take-offs, waypoint navigation, hovering operations, cargo delivery, and landings without requiring continuous human piloting.

Supporting this autonomy is Full Authority Digital Engine Control (FADEC), an advanced engine management technology that automatically regulates power output and fuel efficiency according to altitude and atmospheric conditions. In extreme environments where engine instability can rapidly become dangerous, FADEC allows the RUAV-200 to sustain operational reliability during long-duration missions.

HAL’s broader strategic objective with the RUAV-200 is to significantly strengthen India’s military logistics chain while simultaneously reducing exposure of pilots and crew members to hazardous operational environments.

The drone has been designed with a maximum take-off weight of approximately 200 kilogrammes and can reportedly transport payloads of up to 40 kilogrammes depending on altitude and mission profile. While that payload capacity may appear modest compared to manned helicopters, defence planners believe such drones could become indispensable for routine supply missions involving medical kits, ammunition, communication equipment, food supplies, or emergency rescue materials.

Once operational, the RUAV-200 is projected to possess a range of nearly 400 kilometres under optimal conditions. Flight endurance is expected to vary between three and six hours depending on payload weight, mission altitude, and weather conditions.

The aircraft’s anticipated cruising speed of roughly 200 kilometres per hour would also allow rapid transportation of supplies across remote valleys and mountainous sectors that often remain inaccessible through road infrastructure during winter months.

A particularly notable feature of the RUAV-200 is its high service ceiling. HAL states that the drone is being engineered to operate at altitudes reaching 6,000 metres, or approximately 19,600 feet. Such capability places the aircraft among a specialised class of logistics drones capable of functioning in some of the world’s highest military deployment zones.

The drone is also expected to maintain functionality across an exceptionally wide temperature spectrum ranging from minus 35 degrees Celsius to 55 degrees Celsius. These environmental tolerances are essential for deployment across diverse Indian operational theatres, from icy Himalayan terrain to hot desert sectors.

Beyond logistics missions, the RUAV-200 may also emerge as a versatile intelligence and reconnaissance platform. Reports indicate that the aircraft can be equipped with electro-optical day and night surveillance cameras, enabling commanders to utilise the drone for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions during periods when it is not assigned to cargo transport.

This dual-role capability would provide substantial operational flexibility, particularly for border monitoring and battlefield awareness missions in inaccessible sectors.

Another major emphasis of the RUAV-200 programme is survivability within contested electronic warfare environments. To safeguard communications from enemy interference or jamming attempts, the drone incorporates an indigenously developed SLR-DC datalink system. Defence sources describe the communication architecture as highly resistant to electronic disruption, ensuring uninterrupted command connectivity during operations in hostile environments.

The development of a domestic secure datalink also aligns with India’s broader push toward strategic self-reliance in defence technologies and reduced dependence on imported communication systems.

Military analysts believe the RUAV-200 could become a foundational platform for future unmanned helicopter programmes within India’s expanding defence ecosystem. Although the current version is focused primarily on logistics and ISR applications, the underlying airframe and autonomous systems may eventually support armed variants capable of carrying precision-guided munitions or participating in network-centric combat operations.

Such developments would mirror global trends where unmanned rotorcraft are increasingly evolving beyond support functions into multi-role battlefield systems capable of surveillance, logistics, targeting, and strike coordination.

The RUAV-200 programme also reflects the accelerating momentum of India’s domestic drone sector, which has seen growing investment following heightened operational requirements along sensitive border regions. Recent geopolitical tensions and the logistical challenges of sustaining troops in high-altitude deployments have reinforced the strategic importance of autonomous aerial supply systems.

For HAL, the successful development of the RUAV-200 would further strengthen its role in India’s rapidly modernising aerospace industry. The company has already been central to several indigenous aviation programmes, including fighter aircraft, helicopters, and trainer platforms. Entry into autonomous rotary-wing logistics systems would mark another expansion of its technological portfolio.

The coming months are expected to be critical for the RUAV-200 project as engineers complete ground qualification procedures and prepare for the drone’s first flight trials. If successful, the platform could eventually provide the Indian military with a highly adaptable aerial logistics asset capable of operating where conventional helicopters remain constrained by terrain, weather, and operational risk.

As warfare increasingly shifts toward automation, autonomy, and distributed logistics networks, the RUAV-200 may ultimately become one of the key systems shaping the future of India’s high-altitude battlefield support infrastructure.

One year after India’s Operation Sindoor, a new geopolitical controversy has emerged after officials in China reportedly acknowledged, for the first time, that Chinese personnel were not only providing intelligence assistance to Pakistan but were also physically present at Pakistani air bases during the four-day conflict.

The admission—aired through Chinese state media programming earlier this week—has intensified long-standing accusations from New Delhi that India effectively faced a “two-front war” in May last year, with Pakistan engaged on the battlefield while China provided critical behind-the-scenes technological and intelligence support.

Although neither Beijing nor Islamabad has formally issued a policy-level confirmation, the appearance of Chinese engineers in a wartime operational setting has added fresh weight to claims repeatedly made by Indian military leadership over the past year.

The controversy stems from a segment aired on China’s state broadcaster CCTV, which featured Zhang Heng, an engineer affiliated with the Aviation Industry Corporation of China’s Chengdu Aircraft Design and Research Institute.

Zhang reportedly described working in harsh battlefield-adjacent conditions while providing real-time technical assistance to Pakistani forces operating Chinese-origin combat systems. His comments were widely interpreted as the first semi-official confirmation that Chinese technical teams were embedded with Pakistani military infrastructure during the conflict.

The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), a state-owned aerospace and defense conglomerate, is a key developer of China’s advanced combat aviation systems, including fighter jets and unmanned aerial platforms.

During the broadcast, Zhang described the extreme conditions at what he referred to as a “support base,” noting temperatures reaching 50°C and continuous aircraft sorties accompanied by air-raid alerts.

His account suggested that Chinese personnel were actively involved in optimizing the performance of Pakistan’s air combat systems during the conflict period.

Indian military officials have repeatedly argued that the May 2025 conflict demonstrated a deeper strategic alignment between China and Pakistan than publicly acknowledged.

Senior officers have suggested that India was effectively engaged in what they described as a “dual adversary scenario,” with Pakistan acting as the immediate combatant while China supplied real-time intelligence, satellite data, and technical battlefield inputs.

In July 2025, Lieutenant General Rahul R. Singh stated that Pakistan’s battlefield awareness appeared unusually precise.

“We had one border and two adversaries… Pakistan was in the front. China was providing all possible support,” he said.

He further claimed that during DGMO-level communications, Pakistan demonstrated awareness of Indian force deployments that, in his assessment, would normally require advanced surveillance inputs.

According to him, Pakistan’s ability to reference “live operational vectors” suggested external intelligence support during active military dialogue.

Lt Gen Singh also alleged that China was using Pakistan as a “live weapons laboratory,” testing combat systems in real-world conditions against Indian platforms.

He stated that approximately 81% of Pakistan’s military hardware acquisitions in recent years originated from China, enabling Beijing to evaluate performance in live conflict scenarios.

“China follows the dictum: kill with a borrowed knife,” he remarked, implying indirect engagement through allied forces.

Similarly, Rajiv Ghai reinforced the perception of multi-directional pressure during the conflict, stating that India responded to “whichever adversary appears on the battlefield,” whether Pakistan or its strategic partners.

The CCTV segment further showed Zhang and other engineers discussing their proximity to operational airbases supporting the Pakistan Air Force (PAF), which operates a fleet of Chinese-designed combat aircraft.

The most prominent among them include the Chengdu J-10CE and the jointly developed JF-17 Thunder.

The JF-17 program is a joint venture between Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and China’s aviation industry, while the J-10CE is an export variant of China’s advanced J-10C platform.

The PAF reportedly operates several squadrons of these aircraft, with the J-10CE being Pakistan’s most advanced frontline fighter acquired from China in recent years.

Zhang described the aircraft as having undergone “real combat validation,” suggesting that operational performance data collected during the conflict was of significant technical interest to Chinese engineers.

Another engineer, Xu Da, likened the aircraft to a “child” that had been nurtured and was now undergoing its first major test in combat conditions, emphasizing emotional and technical investment in the platform’s performance outcomes.

During and after Operation Sindoor, Pakistan claimed it had shot down multiple Indian aircraft, including Rafale fighters. India acknowledged suffering operational losses but has not officially confirmed specific aircraft types or numbers.

In parallel, India claimed it inflicted significant damage on Pakistani air assets, both in aerial engagements and ground strikes.

Independent defense analysts and think tanks have since suggested that both sides likely experienced aircraft losses, though exact figures remain unverified due to the absence of transparent battlefield data.

Despite conflicting narratives, Chinese state-linked commentary and Pakistani statements have been used in Chinese domestic media to promote the perceived effectiveness of Chinese-built combat platforms, particularly the J-10CE.

One of the most politically sensitive aspects of the post-conflict discourse has been the comparison between Chinese and Western fighter aircraft.

Pakistan’s claims that J-10CE jets successfully engaged and downed Indian Rafale aircraft were widely circulated in Chinese media. The Rafale, a French-made multirole fighter produced by Dassault Aviation, has been widely considered one of the most capable 4.5-generation fighter jets globally and has a strong export record.

These claims provided China with an opportunity to present the J-10CE as a credible peer competitor to Western platforms, despite the aircraft having limited combat exposure prior to 2025.

However, aviation analysts note that the J-10CE has not translated its perceived wartime performance into major export success. Pakistan remains its only confirmed operator.

Meanwhile, India has moved forward with a major expansion of its Rafale fleet. In early 2026, India’s Defense Acquisition Council approved the Acceptance of Necessity for 114 additional Rafale aircraft, a program estimated at up to $40 billion.

Other countries, including Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Ukraine, and Canada, are reportedly exploring or expanding Rafale procurement, underscoring continued international demand for the platform.

Defense analysts suggest that the emerging disclosures—whether intentional or incidental—highlight a deeper evolution in China-Pakistan defense cooperation. The presence of Chinese technical personnel in operational environments, if fully confirmed, would represent a significant escalation in the nature of military collaboration.

It would also reinforce Indian concerns that future regional conflicts could involve integrated intelligence-sharing networks extending beyond bilateral adversaries.

At the same time, the episode underscores the growing role of real-world conflict as a testing ground for advanced military technologies, particularly in South Asia’s increasingly networked defense ecosystem.

While Beijing has not issued an official policy clarification, the CCTV broadcast has already reshaped strategic discourse in the region, lending partial confirmation to long-standing Indian assertions of Chinese operational proximity to Pakistan during active hostilities.

The full extent of China’s involvement remains contested. But the latest revelations ensure that Operation Sindoor will continue to be debated not only as a regional military confrontation, but as a case study in multi-layered modern warfare involving states, systems, and embedded technical actors operating across borders.

The Hundred is over for 2025. At Lords, last Sunday, the Oval Invincibles men’s team lived up to their name by winning the trophy for the third consecutive year.

The Trent Rockets, winners in 2022, were dispatched in the final. In the women’s final, the Northern Superchargers beat the Southern Brave.

After five years of getting used to the format, the team names and the garish branding, it has seemed that, whisper it softly, the tournament has gained wider acceptability.

Perhaps the determination, bordering on evangelism, of The Hundred’s proponents for it to succeed have browbeaten naysayers into submission. Even I have watched much more of it in person than in previous years.

Record attendances were recorded at four different grounds in 2025, including 22,542 at the women’s final. A total of 580,000 tickets were sold and issued.

The audience demographics were consistent with 2024, with 23 percent junior tickets, 41percent families and 30 percent female buyers. Viewing figures increased in 2025.

In the group stages, Sky Sports’ audience for The Hundred rose by an average of 38 percent compared with 2024. BBC Sport experienced 2.2 million online viewing requests in 2025, up from 1.6 million in 2024.

These metrics speak of success, of a sound base on which to build for the future. Yet, The Hundred’s future is going to be different to its past. How much so will play out over the coming months under the direction of a new board.

This will feature representatives of the England and Wales Cricket Board, the host clubs and investors. The ECB has delegated authority to the board relating to certain aspects of the strategic direction and commercial growth of The Hundred. These include sponsorship and licensing deals, player salaries, player draft and retention conditions.

It is in these areas that changes are anticipated, driven by the new investors. Their combined investment, so far of around $700 million, provides substantial influence.

Until this point, cricket in England and Wales has required the agreement of two-thirds of the constituent counties to implement change. It was always clear, from the beginning of The Hundred concept, that the ECB saw it as a mechanism for diluting the voting power of the counties.

This is now a reality. Even those counties which have retained a 51 percent equity share do not appear to be having things their own way.

A clear case is the Oval Invincibles. It is understood that the name is being consigned to history, replaced by MI London. The Ambani family owns the Mumbai Indians’ global portfolio of franchises. This began in the Indian Premier League and has been extended to MI Cape Town, MI Emirates, MI New York and, imminently, London.

There is disappointment amongst Surrey County members that the name could not retain Oval in its title. It is interpreted as the thin end of the wedge, a sign of things to come, in which a majority shareholding does not convey real power.

Less concern has been expressed about other name changes. The Manchester Originals name will change to incorporate “Super Giants” to bring it into line with the Lucknow and Durban franchises of the RPSG group. The Northern Superchargers name is likely to be adapted by the 100 percent owners, Sunrisers Hyderabad.

The influence of the India owners and part owners is likely to go far beyond name changes. Coaches and support teams may be changed to align with their teams in other franchise leagues.

There are rumors that The Hundred’s draft selection system, in which franchises take turns to pick players from a pool, will be replaced with the auction system favored by the IPL.

In turn, this may mean a change to the number of players which can be retained from the 15-person squads. The aim of these systems is to establish competitive balance between squads.

The auction system is more high profile and results in the top players being picked off for eye-watering amounts of money. Its adoption will disrupt the existing teams, a move likely to be unpopular.

The Oval Invincibles, for example, has built its success on its affiliation with the Oval. It has chosen a strong cadre of Surrey players to create a clear identity, retaining this core to generate team spirit and bonding. In recognition of this, supporters have responded by generating an in-match atmosphere that is regarded by commentators as the best on the circuit.

Yet this successful team is at risk of being ripped up. The prospect may please its rivals, but there is a risk of too much change creating confusion for audiences.

The Hundred has a one-month duration, unlike the IPL, which lasts for two months. By the time that people have begun to be accustomed to team compositions, The Hundred is almost over. How much heed the new board will take over warnings not to change too much too soon is unknown.

It has other weighty considerations. One is how it taps into the Indian market, which is four-and-a-half hours ahead of the UK. Currently, men’s matches, which follow the women’s, are scheduled to end around 9 p.m. BST.  

Another consideration is the number of overseas players who will be attracted or allowed. Currently, each squad is permitted three overseas players. It has proved difficult to attract the volume of top men’s players, largely because of competing T20 tournaments elsewhere or national commitments.

The big question centers on Indian players. If centrally contracted in India, they are not permitted to play in any franchise league, other than the IPL. The presence and influence of Indian owners in The Hundred may start to shift the debate.

In the short term, the example of Ravichandran Ashwin is the most likely model. He has retired from international cricket and declared an ambition to be an “explorer of the game around (the) various leagues.” It is rumored that his first exploration may be the Big Bash League in Australia.

August 2025 marks the end of the beginning for The Hundred. It has survived apathy, suspicion, ridicule and aggressive opposition, bordering on detest.

Despite the format being played nowhere else in the world, it has succeeded in what many thought to be its real purpose, that of attracting external investment into the English and Welsh game. The price to be paid for that outcome will now unfold at the hands of the new owners.

Undoubtedly, The Hundred 2026 will herald in a new era, with significant implications for both audience and player retention, not to mention its potential impact on the structure and shape of the domestic game.

Much depends on the power dynamics of The Hundred’s new board during this stage of transition.  

• DRDO successfully concludes dual-user evaluation trials of Pralay tactical missile system, paving the way for induction into service

India marked a significant milestone in its evolving conventional deterrence posture with the successful completion of back-to-back flight tests of the Pralay tactical ballistic missile on July 28 and 29, 2025. Conducted at Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha, the trials concluded the final phase of user evaluation, validating both the missile’s minimum and maximum range capabilities under operational conditions. According to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), both tests followed intended quasi-ballistic trajectories and struck their designated targets with a high degree of accuracy.

With the conclusion of these evaluations, Pralay is now poised for full induction into the Indian Armed Forces, symbolizing not only a technological achievement but also a strategic realignment in India’s military doctrine toward rapid-response, non-nuclear deterrence.

The Pralay missile project was greenlit in March 2015, with an initial budget of ₹332.88 crore (approximately ₹502 crore or $59 million in 2023 terms). Its primary objective was to develop a conventionally armed, mobile, and high-precision battlefield missile that could respond quickly to localized threats and provocations along India’s volatile borders with China and Pakistan.

Developed by the DRDO’s Research Centre Imarat (RCI), the missile integrates proven technologies from earlier platforms such as the Prahaar short-range missile and Prithvi Defence Vehicle systems. One of the most distinctive features of Pralay is its solid-fuel rocket motor and maneuverable re-entry vehicle (MaRV), allowing for high-speed terminal maneuvers and significantly reducing interception chances.

National Aerospace Laboratories played a key role by validating aerodynamic designs in its 1.2-meter trisonic wind tunnel, while the High Energy Materials Research Laboratory developed the high-energy composite propellant—similar to that used in the submarine-launched Sagarika missile from the K-series family, but more energetic than propellants used in the Agni series.

The missile has gone through a rigorous testing regimen since its first successful flight on December 22, 2021, when it demonstrated precision at a range of 400 kilometers. A follow-up test the next day, on December 23, extended the strike range to 500 kilometers with a heavier payload.

A third significant trial was held on November 7, 2023, focusing on the missile’s guidance system, particularly its terminal navigation and control. The most recent tests on July 28 and 29, 2025, were conducted under “user-defined conditions” and included full-system validation by deploying tracking sensors, telemetry, and radar systems from the Integrated Test Range and naval platforms stationed in the Bay of Bengal.

DRDO confirmed that all mission objectives were achieved, paving the way for mass production and deployment.

Unlike India’s long-range ballistic missiles, which fall under the purview of the Strategic Forces Command and adhere to the country’s nuclear no-first-use doctrine, Pralay has been explicitly designed for conventional tactical operations. It is intended for battlefield use, especially in response to high-intensity but localized conflicts, border incursions, or strategic infrastructure threats.

It forms part of India’s effort to build a credible non-nuclear strike capability, akin to China’s DF-12 or Pakistan’s Nasr tactical missile systems. By doing so, India aims to enhance deterrence at sub-nuclear levels, addressing operational voids between artillery systems and nuclear-capable long-range missiles.

The Pralay missile is a solid-fuel, road-mobile, canisterized surface-to-surface system with a two-stage rocket motor and a maneuverable re-entry vehicle (MaRV).

• Length: 7.5 to 11 meters

• Diameter: ~750 mm

• Launch Weight: ~5 tonnes

• Range: 150 km (with 1,000 kg payload) to 500 km (with 350 kg payload)

• Payload Types: High-explosive fragmentation, Penetration-cum-Blast (PCB), Runway Denial Penetration Submunition (RDPS)

The missile employs Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) for mid-course guidance and Digital Scene-Matching Area Correlation (DSMAC) and radar imaging for terminal accuracy. Its Circular Error Probable (CEP) is under 10 meters, with ongoing efforts to reduce it to below 4 meters—a remarkable level of accuracy for a ballistic missile.

• Jet vane thrust vectoring for in-flight maneuverability

• Mach 6.1 terminal velocity

• Fused silica radome for seeker protection

• Low radar cross-section design via external aerodynamic fins

The missile will be launched from a twin-canister Transporter Erector Launcher (TEL) mounted on an Ashok Leyland 12×12 high-mobility chassis—a significant departure from earlier Czech Tatra-based systems.

These enhancements allow a deployment-to-launch cycle under ten minutes and command-to-launch cycle under one minute, enabling fast, autonomous launches even under electronic warfare conditions.

In terms of procurement, the Indian Air Force received clearance in December 2022 for 120 missiles, and the Indian Army followed with a regiment-sized order of 250 missiles in September 2023. These deployments aim to reinforce India’s deterrence along both the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.

India has also authorized a 300-km range, 500-kg payload export variant of Pralay to align with the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). Notably, Armenia is reportedly in advanced negotiations to procure this version, in line with its recent acquisitions of Indian Swathi radar systems and U.S.-made M982 Excalibur artillery shells.

This move positions India as a responsible yet assertive arms exporter, capable of providing advanced missile systems to allies without violating international norms.

Pralay is slated to become a cornerstone of India’s proposed Integrated Rocket Force (IRF)—a new service arm under consideration to centralize conventional missile assets like Pralay, BrahMos, Pinaka, and Nirbhay. The IRF would function independently of the Strategic Forces Command, which manages nuclear arsenals, and focus on non-nuclear, high-precision responses to localized threats.

Such an institution reflects India’s maturing deterrence philosophy: a multi-layered strategy that doesn’t escalate every engagement to a nuclear threshold. In this framework, Pralay offers a middle-tier solution, bridging the operational spectrum between tactical artillery and strategic nuclear missiles.

The successful conclusion of Pralay’s trials is part of a broader Indian missile development surge:

• On July 25, 2025, DRDO tested the ULPGM-V3, a precision-guided air-launched missile for UAV platforms.

• A Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD) system was also trialed for countering low-altitude aerial threats.

• Extended range versions of Pinaka rocket systems have been approved for procurement.

• The Navy seeks new Vertical Launch Short Range Surface-to-Air Missiles (VL-SRSAM) to improve shipborne defenses.

Simultaneously, India’s strategic capabilities continue to evolve:

• Trials of Agni-I and Prithvi-II confirmed nuclear and conventional deterrence.

• Under Project Vishnu, the ET-LDHCM hypersonic missile exceeded Mach 8, with a 1,500 km range.

• Development of the BM-04 boost-glide ballistic missile and extended-range Rudram-4 air-to-surface hypersonic missile is ongoing.

• The K-5 SLBM is reportedly complete, while the K-6 (8,000 km, MIRV) will arm future S-5-class nuclear submarines.

Much research in the field has focused on refining the process to minimise the harms of screening.

And Prof Ahmed is running the Transform trial, external, starting next year, to compare the most promising technologies.

But the results could be 10 years away.

In the meantime, Prostate Cancer Research’s report, external says, screening 45-69-year-olds at high risk – black men and those with a family history of the disease or particular gene mutations – would deliver an economic benefit, after factoring in the cost of treatment and the impact on working lives and carers.

“Finding and treating cancers early outweighs the harms of over-treatment by four times,” the charity’s chief executive, Oliver Kemp, says.

And another charity, Prostate Cancer UK, says the report supports its call to overhaul “dangerously outdated NHS guidance that is leading to too many men receiving a late, incurable diagnoses”.

His news prompted a near eight-fold increase in NHS searches for prostate cancer symptoms over the following days.

“It’s been the toughest year of our lives so far by some stretch,” he told the BBC.

“Maybe people seeing this or hearing about my story – just by them asking their GP – will create enough of a surge of interest that people that make the decisions will go ‘you know what, we need to address this’. And in the long term this will save potentially millions of lives.”

He added: “I know what the end result will be. Nobody lives forever. Our time on this planet is finite. Don’t waste your time worrying about stuff that isn’t that important. Focus on the things that are.

“My perspective on life has changed massively. I am more thankful, I’m more grateful for each day. It’s been a tough year and it’s going to be tough ahead in the future too but for now, right here right now, we’re doing pretty well.”

The NHS advises men to speak to a doctor if they think they are higher risk of prostate cancer. A man’s risk of this cancer increases with age.

Cancer Research UK says the evidence so far suggests that routinely screening people using PSA would not greatly help prevent deaths, external and might instead lead to men having unnecessary treatment that could cause undue stress and potential side effects.

PSA is not diagnostic. A raised PSA level does not necessarily mean there is cancer. It can be elevated with other conditions too, such as inflammation.

If you ask for a PSA test, your doctor may advise you to think carefully about the benefits and disadvantages.

The full interview – Sir Chris Hoy: Finding Hope – will be shown on BBC One at 20:00 GMT on Tuesday, 5 November and will then be available to watch on BBC iPlayer. You can also listen in full on BBC Sounds.

The Oxford Vaccine Group has administered the vaccine to people aged between 18 and 55.

The trial is being funded by the Department of Health and Social Care as part of the UK Vaccine Network (UKVN), a UK Aid programme developing vaccines for diseases with epidemic potential in low and middle-income countries.

Professor Teresa Lambe OBE is lead scientific investigator, she said: “Although outbreaks of Marburg virus have historically been small, this devastating disease has started to spread even further and the potential to cause a pandemic and inflict suffering on many is a real concern.”

There have been multiple outbreaks of the disease across Sub-Saharan Africa, including Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea in 2023.

The virus can be transmitted between humans through direct contact and bodily fluids which means health workers are most likely to get infected.

It can hamper the blood’s ability to clot which could result in internal bleeding and can also lead to inflammation of the brain.

It has an estimated case fatality rate of up to 88% based on previous outbreaks.

Professor Lambe said: “With no approved treatments for Marburg, developing a vaccine is critical.

“This Oxford trial is a first step towards developing a safe and effective vaccine to protect people from future outbreaks.”