The screening of renowned Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s Italy-set refugee drama Marghe and Her Mother closed the golden jubilee edition of the International Festival of India (IFFI) on Thursday in Panaji. Close to 250 films from various countries were screened at the premier movie extravaganza, which opened on November 20.

The spectacular, star-studded closing ceremony brought the eight day festivities of screenings, master classes, in-conversation sessions to a fitting climax. The closing ceremony brought a stellar line-up of both the national and international and regional industry’s leading names.

Legendary music composer Ilaiyaraaja, director Manju Borah, veteran actor Prem Chopra, actor Arvind Swami, Kathak doyen Pandit Birju Maharaj, dancer Tanusree Shankar, among others were felicitated. Also present at the ceremony were Goa Governor Satyapal Malik, who was the chief guest for the evening, Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, actor-BJP MPs Rupa Ganguly and Ravi Kishan, Union minister Babul Supriyo, among others.

Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy has said that there is a need to develop multi-pronged approach to anticipate landslide disasters to minimize the environmental and infrastructural damages caused by them. He said, landslide disaster can be prevented and extensive collaboration in various disaster-related programmes, involving international communities will be instrumental in reducing the impacts.  Mr Reddy was speaking at the inaugural function of 1st International Conference on Landslide Risk Reduction and Resilience - 2019 in New Delhi today. Mr Reddy said, since the adoption of disaster management act 2005, the Centre has taken several initiatives to strengthen the resilience capacity of all stakeholders aiming to make India disaster resilient nation and reduce landslide losses.

AIR correspondent reports that this first-of-its-kind conference aims to bring together all the stakeholders including relevant Ministries and experts to discuss, debate and disseminate information, experiences and innovations for landslides risk reduction and resilience at national and international levels. The conference will develop a road map towards landslide risk reduction and resilience through networking, collaboration and coordination amongst different stakeholders.

India wins bid to host 2023 Men's Hockey World Cup; Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar and Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium Stadium in Rourkela to be the venues for the tournament.

India won the  bid to host 2023 Men's Hockey World Cup. Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar and Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium Stadium in Rourkela will be the venues for the tournament.The tournament will be held from January 13 to 29.

    Kalinga Stadium will host the game's showpiece tournament for the second consecutive time after successfully conducting the event in 2018, which was won by Belgium. The state capital is also one of the venues for the 2020 FIFA Women's U-17 World Cup.

Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari has called upon the auto industry to think about future technologies as skilled man-power, cheap labour and technology are available in the auto sector.

He said, Ethanol, Methanol, Bio-diesel and Bio-CNG will support the future technology to be utilized in the auto sector.

The Minister was speaking at the NuGen Mobility Summit 2019 at International Centre for Automotive Technology Centre, ICAT in Gurugram today.  

He said, new motor vehicle act will encourage new innovation and research.

The three-day Summit is being attended by experts from the automotive industry, system and technology companies, experts in technology domains, researchers, policymakers, test houses and agencies, associations and academia from all around the world.

Clive James, the Australian writer and broadcaster known around the world for his dry wit, has died at the age of 80.

Diagnosed with leukaemia in 2010, the author and critic had movingly written about his terminal illness during the final years of his life.

Born Vivian James in 1939, he moved to England in 1961 and rose to prominence as a literary critic and TV columnist.

He went on to deliver wry commentary on international programming in such shows as Clive James On Television.

In Uttar Pradesh, the 47th All India Police Science Congress (AIPSC) begins in Lucknow today. The two-day event will be inaugurated by Puducherry Lieutenant Governor and retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be the chief guest at the valedictory function tomorrow evening.
 AIR Correspondent reports that Uttar Pradesh Police in association with the Home Ministry and the Bureau of Police Research and Development is organising the event at the police headquarters in Lucknow.

It is second time since the inception of the Annual Mind Churning exercise in 1960 that Lucknow is organizing this event. The last time Lucknow was host for AIPSC was in 1997. During 6 sessions of the event, police officers, academicians, researchers, judicial and scientific experts will present their papers.

The Indore-based Devi Ahilya University has added another feather in its cap by becoming Madhya Pradesh's first varsity to be accorded A-plus grade by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC).

The Centre of higher learning now became entitled to several other facilities. It may introduce courses recognised by the University Grants Commission without the latter's permission besides commencing open distance-learning courses. 

Abhishek Verma and Jyothi Surekha Vennam claimed the gold in compound mixed pair event at the 21st Asian Archery Championships, which ended in Bangkok today.

The Indians defeated Chinese Taipei opponents Yi-Hsuan Chen and Chieh-Luh Chen 158-151 in the final clash. India picked up seven medals including one gold, two silver and four bronze meddles in the event.

Earlier in the day, the top-seeded trio of Verma, Rajat Chauhan and Mohan Bhardwaj bagged a silver medal in the compound team event as they lost by just one point to Korea 232-233.

Indian Women's Association (IWA) in Nepal has donated two electric vehicles to Pashupati Area Development Trust (PADT).

President of the Association, Namrita Puri handed over vehicles to Dr. Pradip Dhakal, Member-Secretary of PADT in Kathmandu today.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri was also present on the occasion.

Mrs. Namrta Puri said, these eco-friendly vehicles will be very helpful for the pilgrims visiting holy Pashupati temple especially for elderly and differently-abled people, women and children.

In a major step to conserve the endangered vulture population, the Uttar Pradesh government will set up state's first vulture conservation and breeding centre in farenda area of Maharajganj district.

Environment Minister had recently told the Parliament that There has been a sharp decline in the population of vultures in the country which has come down from 40 million to 19,000 in a span of over three decades.  

AIR correspondent reports that States' first vulture conservation and breeding centre of its kind will be set up on the lines of Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre at Pinjore in Haryana, which is also the first in the country. In August, more than 100 vultures were sighted near the site where the centre will be established.