"Better Man", a semi-autobiographical film about British pop singer Robbie Williams, will open the 55th International Film Festival of India , where Australian filmmaker Phillip Noyce will be presented the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award.

The annual film gala, which will run through November 20-November 28 in Goa, will present over 180 international films from 81 countries, including 15 world premieres, three international premieres, 40 Asian premieres and 106 Indian premieres.

The curtain raiser press conference for IFFI 2024 was held on Monday at the National Media Centre here. The event was attended by L Murugan, Union Minister of State for I&B; Sanjay Jaju, Secretary I&B; Shekhar Kapur, Festival Director; and Prasoon Joshi, Chairman, CBFC.

Sonu Sood, the renowned actor and philanthropist, has been appointed as the Brand Ambassador and Advisor for Thailand Tourism. Recognized globally for his humanitarian efforts, particularly during the pandemic, this new role further enhances his stature as a global goodwill ambassador. The Ministry of Tourism and Sports of Thailand has officially bestowed upon him the title of "Honorary Tourism Advisor," entrusting him with the responsibility of offering guidance and strategic advice on marketing and public relations to promote Thailand as a tourist destination in India.

He took to social media to share the exciting news, expressing, “Honoured and humbled to be appointed as the Brand Ambassador and Advisor for Tourism, Thailand

Tayyab Ikram was re-elected as FIH president at the 49th FIH statutory Congress held in Muscat on Saturday.

Reacting to his re-election, he said: "My heart is full of gratitude for the trust you've placed in me. Many of you have told me that a lot has been achieved in the last 2 years and that FIH is now much closer to you. However, today, I feel that this is my first day. You've given me a new start! I will continue this journey. It will be a time of engagement, a time of empowerment. Athletes are and will remain, my first priority. They need to be at the centre of everything FIH does."

Danae Andrada (Uruguay), Alberto Daniel Budeisky (Argentina) and Erik Cornelissen (Netherlands) were re-elected and Katrin Kauschke (Germany) was elected as Ordinary Members of the FIH Executive Board. Before the election, Hazel Kennedy (Zambia) and Deon James Morgan (South Africa) withdrew their candidature, a release said.

Hindalco Industries Limited, the metals flagship of the Aditya Birla Group, has been ranked the world’s most sustainable aluminium company for the fifth consecutive year.

In the 2024 edition of the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) rankings, Hindalco was the only aluminium company to secure the top position. It got a total score of 87 points (as of 30 October 2024), improving its tally by 9 points from 2023. It was 22 points ahead of its closest peer, a statement from the company said.

The DJSI World Index comprises the top 10 per cent of the largest 2,500 companies by market capitalisation in the S&P Global Broad Market Index based on long-term economic and ESG factors.

India on Saturday (November 9, 2024) gifted two water-jet propelled Fast Interceptor Craft (FIC) to Mozambique as part of capacity-building engagements with friendly foreign nations in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The FICs were transshipped from India by INS Gharial, the Navy said.

The Handing Over Ceremony was attended by the High Commissioner of India in Mozambique Robert Shetkintong, India’s newly appointed Defence Adviser at Maputo, Col Puneet Attri, and the Commanding Officer of INS Gharial, Commander Rajan Chib. The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of National Defence Augusto Casimiro Mueio formally accepted the vessels on behalf of the Government of Mozambique.

“The two FICs will significantly aid the Government of Mozambique in its effort to combat maritime terrorism and the ongoing insurgency in the Cabo Delgado province,” the Navy said.

National Education Day 2024 Date and History: National Education Day is observed annually in India and serves as a platform to advocate for education’s transformative power and the ongoing efforts needed to make quality education accessible to all.

This day honours the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India.

Notably, Maulana Azad was also posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian award, in 1992, for his invaluable contribution.

Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman has launched the National MSME Cluster Outreach Programme, organised jointly by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI).

The launch took place on Saturday. Around 150 MSME Clusters were connected virtually for the launch with senior bank officials being present in each of these Clusters.

The programme aims to ensure access to Financial Services and promote the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across the country, the Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed legislation to ratify a bilateral treaty with North Korea, which includes a promise of mutual military assistance if either country is attacked, state media reported.

Tass on Saturday reported Putin's signing of the law on ratification of the comprehensive strategic partnership treaty between Moscow and Pyongyang.

Putin signed the deal with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to North Korea in June this year and Putin submitted it to the Russian State Duma for ratification on October 15. The lower and upper houses of the Russian parliament had earlier approved the bill for ratification.

In a decision that will impact applicants from India — and at a time when diplomatic ties between the two countries are strained — Canada ended its popular, fast-track student visa programme with effect from Friday.

The Student Direct Stream (SDS) programme was launched in 2018 to provide faster processing for eligible post-secondary students from 14 countries, including India. Besides a shorter processing time, the approval rates were also higher under the programme.

According to official estimates, 60 per cent of the 4 lakh Indian students who sought to study in Canada in 2023 applied under the SDS programme. Under SDS, the approval rate for Indian students was consistently higher, breaching 70 per cent in 2023. In contrast, those applying through the regular route had approval rates as low as 10 per cent.

The last rites of veteran actor Delhi Ganesh took place on Monday morning in Ramapuram, Chennai according to ANI.

After a day of honour, his mortal remains were cremated with Air Force honours. Indian Air Force personnel paid tribute to Delhi Ganesh by placing an IAF ensign on him.

Before starting his career in the film industry, the actor served as a former Air Force officer.

He passed away on Sunday, November 9 at the age of 80 due to age-related ailments. The news was confirmed by his son, Maha Devan.