The share of engineering goods in India's total merchandise exports increased to 27.20 per cent in August, from 26.60 per cent in July, a report showed on Thursday.

The cumulative share stood at 25.97 per cent during the April-August period.

According to the Engineering Export Promotion Council (EEPC), the growth was due to a decent rise in shipments of product groups such as 'aircraft and spacecraft parts', 'ships, boats and floating structures', 'automobile and auto components/parts', and 'medical and scientific instruments’.

After a decline in April, engineering goods exports from India started showing an increasing trend and registered positive growth in subsequent months.

In August, engineering exports rose to $9.44 billion from $9.05 billion in the same month last fiscal year, securing 4.36 per cent growth. As per EEPC, cumulative engineering exports during April-August 2024-25 were recorded at $46.41 billion as against $44.53 billion during the same period of the last fiscal, registering an increase of 4.21 per cent.

India’s tourism sector is poised to create approximately 39.5 million jobs by the end of year which is likely to rise to 42.3 million employment opportunities by 2025, a report showed on Thursday.

Direct employment will account for 31 per cent of these roles, including positions like tour guides, hotel staff, and tour operators, according to NLB Services, a technology and digital talent solutions provider.

“Meanwhile, indirect employment will make up 69 per cent with jobs in areas such as local artisans, logistics and transport operators, supply chain workers, IT support for online booking, data analysis, and landscape maintenance,” said Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services.

Actor Jackie Shroff, who was last seen in the streaming movie ‘Mast Mein Rehne Ka’, is celebrating the birth anniversary of the late actor Dev Anand.

On Thursday, Jackie Shroff took to the Stories section of his Instagram, and shared a video remembering the cinema legend. He wrote on the video, “With the blessings of Dev sahab, I walked into film duniya”.

For the unversed, Jackie Shroff made his acting debut in Dev Anand's 1982 film ‘Swami Dada’. In his first meeting with Dev Anand, he was offered the second lead role but after 15 days, Dev Anand changed his mind and gave the role to Mithun Chakraborty. Jackie was cast as one of the henchmen of Shakti Kapoor in an uncredited role.

Prior to this, Jackie used to work as a travel agent, and also worked in an advertising company. His stint in advertising led to modelling assignment, and before he knew it, he was cast in ‘Swami Dada’.

However, it was the Subhash Ghai directorial ‘Hero’ in which Jackie Shroff garnered critical and commercial acclaim, and went on to become a huge star in the 1980s. He starred in films like ‘Teri Meherbaniyan’, ‘Tridev’, ‘Parinda’, ‘Karma’ and others.

A day after the suicide of the prime suspect in the sensational Bengaluru Mahalaxmi murder case, the family members of the deceased Mukthiranjan Roy on Thursday alleged that the victim woman Mahalaxmi used to blackmail and extract money from Roy.

The accused had allegedly revealed about committing the crime and the reasons behind such a heinous act to his younger brother before suicide.

“He stayed with me for the last 10 to 12 days in my mess at Berhampur before committing suicide. He had also told me about committing the crime. He said that she (Mahalaxmi) was blackmailing him constantly and also extracted large amounts of money and gold ornaments from him," said Roy's younger brother on Thursday.

He added that the family members were angry with him as he couldn’t send any money to the family.

Placebo Club, Faculty of Pharmacy, Desh Bhagat University (DBU), Mandi Gobindgarh organized the “World Pharmacist Day on the theme of ‘Pharmacist: Meeting Global Health Needs’. The main objective of the activity was to recognize the important role that pharmacist play in healthcare and to raise awareness of their contribution. On this occasion students of School of Pharmacy, S. Lal Singh Memorial College of Pharmacy and Mata Jarnail K College of Pharmacy were engaged in a wide range of activities on theme Pharmacist: Meeting Global Health Needs” including Poster Making competition, Nukkad Natak, Tree Plantation and cultural activity.
Expert Talk (Virtual) had been delivered by Dr. Bikash Medhi (Professor in Pharmacology PGIMER) on the topic Patients Safety and Pharmacovigilance Programme of India (PVPI). On this occasion a rally was also organized to create awareness regarding Pharmacist role and responsibilities.  All the students participated with great enthusiasm and energy.The event was inaugurated by Dr. Zora Singh, Chancellor Desh Bhagat University and welcome address was given by Dr. Puja Gulati, Principal, School of Pharmacy. She gives the awareness about Pharmacist Role and Responsibilities of Pharmacists. At the end of the event, Dr. Shailesh Kumar Gupta Principal of S. Lal Singh Memorial College of Pharmacy, Desh Bhagat University, announced the results and vote of thanks was given by Ms. Khushpal Principal of Mata Jarnail K College of Pharmacy. Pro Chancellor, Dr. Tejinder Kaur congratulated Staff, students and members of Placebo Club for successful conduct of the event.
Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Abhijit Joshi Sir acknowledged and appreciated the efforts put in by students of Faculty of Pharmacy. Registrar Er. Sudip Mukharjee appreciated efforts of Placebo club and conveyed best wishes to organize these types of activities in future as well.

The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked wrestler complainants, who had levelled sexual harassment and intimidation charges against former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, to file their responses to the latter's plea seeking quashing of FIR and consequent criminal proceedings.

Allowing time for respondents/female complainants to respond to Brij Bhushan Singh's petition to close the case, a bench of Justice Manoj Kumar Ohri decided to fix the next hearing on January 13, 2025.

The court remarked that framing of charges in trial proceedings would not bar an accused from instituting a petition for quashing the criminal proceedings.

India U20 men’s national team is not ready to sit on its laurels just yet. While the team seems to have put past disappointments with a confident 4-1 victory against Mongolia in the first Group G match of the AFC U20 Asian Cup 2025 qualifiers, there is still a lot of work to be done.

Facing Iran, considered a powerhouse of Asian football, in their next game at the Lao National Stadium KM16 in Vientiane on Friday, with the kick-off slated for 2.30 pm IST, India will be looking to iron out the rough edges.

Head coach Ranjan Chaudhuri said on the eve of the Iran test, “The last match was a big motivation for our team. I’ve always maintained that winning the first match of a tournament is crucial, and the boys stuck their heads in and played extremely well against Mongolia.

“But we cannot rejoice in the victory just yet. We must immediately begin preparations for the next game,” he said. “We missed a lot of chances against Mongolia, and that is something we cannot afford against Iran,” said Chaudhuri.

“They are an extremely good side, but we have made our plans according to their game as well. Anything can happen on the day, and with a little luck, our boys can get a good result. The most important thing for us is to play our game well, and come out of the match with our heads held high, with a smile,” said Chaudhuri.

The Karari locality of Omdurman city, north of the Sudanese capital Khartoum, has regained some vibrancy after a fierce battle in March that expelled the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) from the old neighbourhoods, expanding the control of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) to the south.

Overcrowded markets and therapeutic activities such as masquerade parties and puppet theaters - the routines of life - have started to reemerge in the locality, which hosts more than 160 shelter centres packed with displaced Sudanese.

However, the returnees have never felt rest assured amid the hustle-bustle, as they are still subjected to random artillery shelling from time to time.

On Monday, at least 15 people were killed and 61 others injured in an artillery attack by the RSF on the crowded Sabreen civilian market in Karari. The death toll could be higher as the local rescue team was unable to reach some victims.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a suspected militant having links with the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

According to sources, the arrested individual has been identified as Girish Bora. He was residing with his family in Jigani Industrial Area near Anekal, on the outskirts of the capital city of Karnataka.

Acting on a tip-off about Girish Bora, allegedly linked to ULFA, an NIA team which had come from Assam conducted a raid and arrested him.

Sources said that Girish Bora had planted Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at various locations in Guwahati, and later he had left the city.

Girish Bora had shifted his family to Bengaluru and settled here.

A newly-constructed dam in southern Afghanistan's Zabul province was formally inaugurated on Thursday, dam manager Habibullah Ibrahimkhil said.

Constructed for two years for 127 million afghani (about 1.84 million US dollars) on the outskirts of the provincial capital Qalat, the dam would irrigate 560 hectares of land and provide electricity to the nearby villages, the official said.

Two weeks ago, the Afghan authorities opened a water supply network and water filtration plant in the national capital Kabul,news agency reported.

In efforts to rebuild Afghanistan, the Afghan caretaker government has launched a series of development and infrastructure projects, including dams, water canals, highways, roads, and solar power systems since taking over power three years ago.