Sri Lanka's controversial wartime defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be the next President after ruling party candidate Sajith Premadasa conceded the hotly contested election, marking the return of the powerful Rajapaksa dynasty known for its pro-China tilt, amidst security challenges following the devastating Easter Sunday terror attacks that killed 269 people.

Rajapaksa, 70, defeated Premadasa, 52, by more than 13 lakh votes, the election commission said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has inaugurated North India's first sugar mill which will produce ethanol direct from sugarcane.

The mill was inaugurated in Pipraich area of Gorakhpur on Sunday. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister said his government is working to restore the pride of Sugar Bowl’ of east Uttar Pradesh. 

National Initiative for School Heads’ and Teachers’ Holistic Advancement (NISHTHA) was launched in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with its formal inauguration by Commissioner Secretary, School Education Department, Sarita Chauhan.

The event was attended by around 300 teachers, Key Resource Persons (KRPs) and Chief Education Officers, DIET Principals and Educational Administrators.

Today is National Press Day. The day, observed on 16th November every year, is symbolic of a free and responsible press.

It was on this day the Press Council of India started functioning as a moral watchdog to ensure that the press maintains high standards and is not fettered by any influence or threats.

On the occasion, Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu will confer excellence in journalism awards. 

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will inaugurate the National Tribal Festival "Aadi Mahotsav" in New Delhi today.

The theme of the 15-day Mahotsav being held at Dilli Haat in INA, is celebration of the Spirit of Tribal Culture, Craft, Cuisine and Commerce.

The tribal textiles manufactured by master tribal craftsmen from Jammu & Kashmir in the North to Tamil Nadu in the South and from Gujarat in the West to Nagaland/Sikkim in the East will be the main attractions.

The 5th edition of the Dhaka International Folk Festival was inaugurated on Thursday by the Information Minister of Bangladesh Dr Hasan Mahmud at a grand ceremony at Bangladesh Army Stadium. Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen was present as chief guest in the opening ceremony.

More than 200 artistes from 6 countries are be performing in the largest folk festival of Asia.

The event began with performance by artistes of Bhabna Nrityadal, a prominent dance troupe from Bangladesh. Daler Mehendi from India, Shah Alam Sarkar from Bangladesh and Georgian folk band Chveneburebi performed on the first day of the programme.

A day after being appointed as Chief Secretary, senior IAS officer Nilam Sawhney noted that she would work towards development of the state, with the mandate given by the government, giving priority to health, education, agriculture and other sectors.

The 1984-batch bureaucrat is the first woman Chief Secretary of the reorganised Andhra Pradesh.

Speaking to the media after taking over the post from Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) and in-charge Chief Secretary Neerabh Kumar Prasad at the Secretariat on Thursday, Nilam Sawhney, who got repatriated to home cadre from Central deputation on November 11, recounted her association with the State.

Turning a new leaf over education sector, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has launched the 'Nadu-Nedu' programme which aims at transforming government schools into vibrant and competitive institutions.

The Chief Minister said that his YSRCP-led state government will overcome all the challenges and clear every hurdle as the goal to meet the requirement of what the fast-changing technology in the world expects from youth, ten years from now.

Renowned mathematician Vashishtha Narayan Singh passed away in Patna, Bihar after prolonged illness on Thursday. Unfortunately, the entire state machinery has failed to provide him with the deserved respect as his body was kept in open while the hospital denied providing an ambulance. 

The 74-year-old Vashishtha Singh was admitted at the Patna Medical College Hospital (PMCH) and on Thursday he passed away. But after his death, his body was kept in the open within the hospital premises as the staff refused to provide an ambulance to the family members. 

Singh's brother was with him at the PMCH hospital and told a media person said that the hospital authorities expressed their inability to provide ambulance and that was the reason his body had to be kept in the open for an hour.

Veteran coach Arsene Wenger has been named FIFA's Chief of global football development. FIFA said, the former Arsenal and Monaco coach would be responsible for the growth of the game for both men and women around the world and would also be the leading authority on technical matters, including potential changes to the sport's laws.

It added that Wenger, 70, would also be tasked with coach education and aiding a programme designed to help former players enter management.

The new role brings Wenger back to the game for the first time since 2018, when he left Arsenal after 22 years in charge.