India received the International Social Security Association Award 2025 on Friday for outstanding achievement in social security. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya accepted the honor at the World Social Security Forum in Kuala Lumpur and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for expanding coverage from 19 percent in 2015 to 64.3 percent in 2025. The triennial award recognized India's progress in protecting 940 million citizens through social protection systems.
Mandaviya highlighted the e-Shram portal connecting 310 million unorganized workers with welfare schemes through a multilingual interface. The minister told 1,200 policymakers from 163 countries that the National Career Service portal links job seekers with employers...
Actor Dhanush expressed gratitude on Friday for the audience response to his film Idli Kadai, which opened on Oct. 1. The director thanked fans through his X account for their overwhelming support after the film achieved strong opening numbers. Wunderbar Films Director Sreyas echoed appreciation for the phenomenal reception of the production.
Dawn Pictures warned on Thursday that it would pursue strict legal action against anyone promoting or distributing pirated versions of the film. The production house urged viewers to report unauthorized content immediately to protect the cinema industry. The company provided multiple channels for audiences to submit piracy reports.
The film stars Dhanush, Arun Vijay, and Nithya Menen in lead...
Six Asian nations compete for two FIFA World Cup 2026 berths as AFC Asian Qualifiers playoffs begin on Wednesday. Qatar, UAE and Oman form Group A while Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Indonesia comprise Group B. Each group winner advances directly to the tournament while runners-up will meet in a November two-legged match to determine AFC's representative at the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.
Oman seeks its first World Cup appearance in 10 qualifying campaigns when facing Qatar on Oct. 8 at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium. UAE plays Oman on Oct. 11 after both teams drew in their December 2024 Gulf Cup meeting. Indonesia confronts Saudi Arabia on Oct. 8 at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah before meeting Iraq on Oct. 11. The final playoff matches...
Maulana Mufti Shahabuddin Razvi Bareilvi urged Muslims to maintain peace before Friday prayers as Bareilly deployed Provincial Armed Constabulary, Rapid Action Force, and intelligence units across sensitive areas. The All India Muslim Jamaat president emphasized the city's peaceful status and warned against damaging its interfaith heritage. Authorities scheduled prayers starting at 1 p.m. across mosques in response to earlier religious tensions.
Razvi instructed worshippers to return home immediately after prayers and avoid crowds, processions, or protests. He advised residents to report disturbing statements to police and reject calls from outside agitators. The cleric stressed that devotion to Prophet Muhammad should remain internal...
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates praised India as a global leader in innovation at a Seattle event on Friday, stating the nation's pioneering solutions could save millions of lives across the Global South. Gates addressed attendees at the Indian Consulate General's gathering held at the Gates Foundation on the 156th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth. The foundation chair expressed his commitment to supporting India's Viksit Bharat 2047 vision and noted that Gandhi's equality principles remain central to their work.
The celebration featured Indian culture presentations and a speech by Jonathan Granoff, president of the U.S. Global Security Institute, on Gandhian values in modern governance. Seattle-area commemorations on Thursday...
Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha shared photos on Friday from his All India Radio visit, where he viewed the microphone Mahatma Gandhi used for his only live national address on Nov. 12, 1947. Sinha wrote on Instagram that Gandhi spoke before traveling to Punjab, a trip the Home Department discouraged for security reasons. The filmmaker noted this encounter represented his closest connection to Gandhi's physical presence.
Gandhi addressed refugees displaced by the Partition of India at the Kurukshetra camp on that date, which coincided with Diwali. The leader used the radio to express empathy for their suffering and urged them to find strength through service to others. India commemorates this historic broadcast annually as Public Service...
Visva Hindu Parishad National Spokesperson Vinod Bansal accused political parties on Friday of misleading Muslim youth through the I Love Muhammad campaign and attempting to destabilize India. He claimed on the social media platform X that these groups support global terrorists rather than the Prophet Muhammad and questioned why violence occurs in religious contexts. A banner reading "I Love Muhammad" displayed in Kanpur on September 4 sparked widespread unrest across multiple states.
Violence erupted in Bareilly on Sept. 26 after Friday prayers when hundreds responded to cleric Maulana Tauqeer Raza Khan's call to join the campaign. Stone-pelting and vandalism broke out as crowds moved toward Islamia Ground and police responded with...
Sonam Kapoor shared photos on Instagram on Friday ahead of cousin Anshula Kapoor's wedding celebrations. The actress wore a brown Indo-western outfit featuring a long skirt, top, and blazer for the festivities. She arrived alone at Anshula's engagement ceremony on Thursday in Mumbai, bypassing photographers without posing for pictures.
Anshula became engaged to screenwriter Rohan Thakkar on Oct. 2 at an intimate gathering attended by family members. Arjun Kapoor, Janhvi Kapoor, Shanaya Kapoor, Jahaan Kapoor, and Maheep Kapoor joined the celebration at the Mumbai venue. The couple connected through a dating app in 2022, and Rohan proposed in July 2025. Anshula and her brother Arjun are the children of Boney Kapoor and his late wife Mona...
Tiger Shroff shared photos from a family dinner on Friday with his father Jackie Shroff, mother Ayesha Shroff, and sister Krishna Shroff. The Baaghi actor posted an Instagram image showing the family posing together, with Jackie and Krishna making victory signs. Shroff recently appeared in Baaghi 4, which opened in theaters on Sept. 5 after director Harsha adapted a story by Sajid Nadiadwala.
The action franchise began in 2016 with a remake of the 2004 Telugu film Varsham. Shroff thanked fans in September for their continued support of his character Ronny across multiple films. Reports indicate the actor may make his international debut alongside Sylvester Stallone and Tony Jaa in an upcoming project, though a planned Rambo remake...
