RECORDS, ALL OTHER excl. Asia & India – Page 2

Tornadoes motorcycle display team creates three new world records

With these feats, the ASC Tornadoes has increased its tally of world records to 35.

The ASC motorcycle display team, Tornadoes, created three new world records on December 4, Sunday. Captain Abhijeet Singh Grewal created a world record of 114 km in three hours and 29 minutes for the longest continuous ride standing on the seat of a motorcycle and broke the Guinness World Record of 41.8 km held by Hardan al Delaimi, Iraq, and the 75.2 km record held by Army Signals motorcycle Team, Daredevils.

Havildar Harikesh Yadav created a new record of 356 km in 9 hours and 17 minutes for the longest motorcycle ride while sitting in tail light and broke the earlier record of 111 km held by Army Corps of Signals Team Daredevils.

Yet another new record was created by Havildar Manish for the longest wheelie on a Royal Enfield 350 cc covering a distance of 2.4 km.

The attempts were conducted as per the guidelines of the Guinness Book of World Records, Limca Book of Records and International Book of Records. These feats were attempted at the ASC Centre (South) and NICE road, Bengaluru.

With these feats the ASC Tornadoes have increased their tally to 35 world records.

The Tornadoes was raised in 1982 after having given a stupendous display of daredevilry during the 1982 Asian Games. Since then the men of the Tornadoes team by their grit, determination and spirit of adventure have made a niche for themselves by rewriting various records.

The team is stationed at ASC Centre (South), Bengaluru, and has 39 riders of two officers, two Junior Commissioned Officers and 35 other ranks. Tornadoes have performed in numerous display shows in India and abroad.

The new records were attempted to commemorate the 262th ASC Corps Day and 11th ASC Reunion. According to the team, stunt riding on a motorcycle demands guts, personal courage, physical fitness and great skill in handling the motorcycle.

thehindu.com

India to assume G20 presidency from today; 100 monuments to be illuminated for a week

India will assume the presidency of the G-20 grouping today. The Group of 20 (G20) is a premier forum comprising 19 of the world’s largest advanced and developing economies, as well as the European Union, which meets every year to discuss their most pressing global issues.

On this occasion, 100 monuments including UNESCO world heritage sites bearing the G-20 logo will be illuminated for seven days from December 1 to 7 including Srinagar’s Shankaracharya temple to Delhi’s Red Fort to Thanjavur’s Great living Chola temple.

Apart from this, Humayun’s Tomb and Purana Quila in Delhi to Modhera Sun Temple in Gujarat, and Konark Sun Temple in Odisha to Sher Shah Suri’s Tomb in Bihar, are in the list of these 100 sites.

During the course of this year’s presidency, India will host 200 meetings across the nations in over 50 cities and in 32 different sectors.

For next year’s Summit, India’s objectives include the supply of affordable technology for sustainable environmental development, highlighting the digital transformation of the country.

The G-20 was founded back in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss global economic and financial issues.

The Group of Twenty (G-20) comprises 19 countries (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States) and the European Union.

The G-20 members represent around 85 per cent of the global GDP, over 75 per cent of the global trade, and about two-thirds of the world population.

The group’s focusses on policy coordination between its members in order to achieve global economic stability, sustainable growth; to promote financial regulations that reduce risks and prevent future financial crises and to create a new international financial architecture.

India will host the G-20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 in 2023 under its Presidency, said the Ministry of External Affairs press release.

As per the sources, the meetings will take place in less explored parts of the country at very exotic locations of India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision is to connect all districts and blocks with G-20 so that the message will reach to masses through Jan Bhagidari initiatives.

“Jan Bhagidari” refers to the participation of people in governance at the local level. The government of any country can stand on its feet only when the people of the nation consider themselves to be indispensable organs of it. Hence the involvement of people in governance at all levels is of utmost importance.

During the last Maan Ki Baat address, PM Modi had said, “the G20 has a partnership comprising two-thirds of the world’s population, three-fourths of world trade, and 85% of world GDP. You can imagine – India is going to preside over such a big group, such a powerful group, 3 days from now i.e. from December 1.”

During the G-20 presidency, India will kick off with celebrations at the Hornbill Festival in Nagaland. Recently, G-20 Chief Coordinator, Harsh Vardhan Shringla, discussed the opportunities to showcase the festival with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphu Rio, reported The Border Lens.

In adherence to PM Modi’s recommendation to not limit G-20 to major urban cities and to use the opportunity to display India’s rich and diverse cultural landscape, Shringla is reaching out to various states to identify opportunities to showcase the country’s cultural heritage through G-20 events. “India’s G-20 is an opportunity for the state of Nagaland to showcase its cultural diversity, uniqueness, and tourism potential,” Shringla said.

Previously, for the year 2021, Indonesia officially handled the G-20 presidency. Before India assume the G-20 presidency, the G-20 Indonesia took Twitter and said, “The #G20BaliSummit marks the conclusion of the 2022 #G-20Indonesia Presidency. India will serve as the next holder of the G20 Presidency. G20 will continue to move forward to realize a global recovery as well as strong and inclusive growth under India’s G20 Presidency.”

The website G20.org has changed for India and it now reads ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam,’ One Earth. One Family. One Future. Meanwhile, the username of Twitter is still G-20 Indonesia which will soon change with India’s presidency.

Earlier this month, the prime minister unveiled the logo, theme and website of India’s G-20 Presidency via video conferencing. The lotus in the logo symbolises India’s ancient heritage, faith and thought.

The Philosophy of Adwait, the Prime Minister said, emphasises the oneness of all creatures and this philosophy will be a medium of resolution of today’s conflicts.

This logo and theme represent many key messages from India. “Message of Buddha for freedom from war, Mahatma Gandhi’s solutions in the face of violence, through G-20, India is giving them a new height”, he said.

The Prime Minister remarked that India’s G-20 presidency is coming at a time of crisis and chaos. He said that the world is dealing with the aftereffects of a disruptive once-in-a-century global pandemic, conflicts, and economic uncertainty.

(With inputs from ANI)

livemint.com

Vijay Hazare Trophy | Ruturaj Gaikwad hits seven sixes in an over to script world record

Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad sets a List A world record in the Vijay Hazare Trophy after smashing seven sixes in an over.

In an unprecedented feat, Maharashtra captain Ruturaj Gaikwad smashed seven sixes in an over to set a List A world record in the Vijay Hazare Trophy in Ahmedabad on Monday.

The over, the 49th of the innings, fetched him 43 runs, matching the joint effort of Brett Hampton and Joe Carter off Willem Ludick for Northern Districts against Central Districts in a Ford Trophy game from 2018.

Gaikwad rewrote the record in the penultimate over of his team’s Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinal match against Uttar Pradesh in Ahmedabad, with Shiva Singh being the bowler. It was a seven ball over because of a no ball.

The record for most sixes in an over (overall) is held by Lee Germon of New Zealand, who clubbed eight maximums during a Shell Trophy match in Wellington.

Left-arm spinner Shiva Singh conceded a no ball in the fifth delivery of the over which was also hit over the boundary ropes at the Narendra Modi Stadium B Ground here.

Gaikwad carried his bat through for a sensational knock of 220 runs in 159 balls, which contained 10 boundaries and 16 maximums. Thanks to Gaikwad’s knock, Maharashtra posted 330 for five after batting first, with his colleagues aggregating only 96 runs.

The first ball was a low full-toss and Gaikwad smoked it over deep midwicket for the first six. The second one was hit straight down the ground, while he cleared deep square leg for his third maximum. The fourth delivery was tonked over long-off, the fifth, a no ball, was played almost in the same direction, and the batter took full advantage of the free hit by hammering it over long-on and reach his double century.

The seventh and final ball was smashed over deep midwicket.

The batter, thus, joined an illustrious list of cricketers who have smashed at least six consecutive sixes in an over, including Sir Garfield Sobers, Ravi Shastri, Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh, Ross Whiteley, Haztratullah Zazai, Leo Carter, Kieron Pollard and Thisara Perera.

As far as the bowler on this occasion is concerned, he went for 88 runs in nine overs.

thehindu.com

Prototypes of world’s highest rail bridge among others displayed at Indian International Trade Fair

India’s first underwater (subaqueous tunnel) rail system and the world’s highest railway arch bridge, built across the Chenab Bridge in J&K has sparked curiosity among the public.

The ongoing Indian International Trade Fair (IITF) at Delhi’s Pragati Maidan, witnessed the Ministry of Railway setting up a sprawling pavilion showcasing all of the railway’s technical advancements on the ironic rail bridge over Chenab and water tunnels. The ministry has highlighted many first-of-its-kind and marvellous facets of Indian Railways, which are attracting crowds of curious visitors.

Exhibiting prototypes of various mega projects, the railway has also exhibited the prototype of the re-developed ‘Ayodhya city railway station, of which the designs are inspired by the Ram Janambhoomi temple’s design.

Sharing details with the media on Tuesday, the Ministry of Railway claimed that various themes have been exhibited with their technological and structural advances through photos, translates and models.

“The model showing the world’s highest rail bridge on Chenab and India’s first underwater rail system, which is being built as part of the East-West Metro corridor of the metro railway in Kolkata, has been drawing huge crowds of curious visitors”, said a senior railway official.

The sports gallery exhibits awards won by the railway teams and an earmarked space showing the historic march of Indian Railways from the old days to the days of manufacturing and running high-speed Vande Bharat trains to the working of bullet trains, has also gathered a lot of onlookers.

“Another most interesting part of the railway’s pavilion is that it has made side walls based on the theme of ‘Azadi Ki Rail Gadi aur Station’ which throws light on the strong connection between freedom struggle and association of railways”, said a railway official. They also added adding that the redeveloped Ayodhya railway station with the design inspired by Lord Rama Janambhoomi temple has proved to be one of the huge crowd-pulling parts at the pavilion.

Besides this, the Ministry of Railways has also displayed the prototypes of its mega Sabarmati multimodal passenger hub and the casting yard of India’s first Bullet train project as part of the Mumbai-Ahmadabad high-speed rail corridor.

Not only this but the country’s first-of-its-kind solar plant at Bina in MP that generates solar power directly to 25 kV overhead electrical equipment to haul trains was displayed apart from the country’s first indigenous semi-high speed Vande Bharat train.

To make the visit of people at the railway pavilion memorable, the Ministry has created a special selfie booth titled ‘I am at Railway station’ for people to click pictures.

newindianexpress.com

Indian wildlife biologist honoured with UN’s highest environmental award

Dr Purnima Devi Barman leads the “Hargila Army”, an all-female grassroots conservation movement dedicated to protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork from extinction.

UNITED NATIONS: Indian wildlife biologist Dr Purnima Devi Barman is among the honourees of this year’s Champions of the Earth award, the UN’s highest environmental honour, accorded for their transformative action to prevent, halt and reverse ecosystem degradation.

Barman has been honoured with the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) 2022 Champions of the Earth award in the Entrepreneurial Vision category.

A wildlife biologist, Barman leads the “Hargila Army”, an all-female grassroots conservation movement dedicated to protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork from extinction.

The women create and sell textiles with motifs of the bird, helping to raise awareness about the species while building their own financial independence.

Barman is also Senior Project Manager of the Avifauna Research and Conservation Division, Aaranyak.

The UNEP website said that at the age of five, Barman was sent to live with her grandmother on the banks of the Brahmaputra River in Assam.

“Separated from her parents and siblings, the girl became inconsolable. To distract her, Barman’s grandmother, a farmer, started taking her to nearby paddy fields and wetlands to teach her about the birds there. I saw storks and many other species. She taught me bird songs. She asked me to sing for the egrets and the storks. I fell in love with the birds,” said Barman, who has devoted much of her career to saving the endangered greater adjutant stork, the second-rarest stork species in the world.

“Barman’s pioneering conservation work has empowered thousands of women, creating entrepreneurs and improving livelihoods while bringing the greater adjutant stork back from the brink of extinction,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.

“Dr Barman’s work has shown that conflict between humans and wildlife can be resolved to the benefit of all. By highlighting the damaging impact that the loss of wetlands has had on the species who feed and breed on them, she reminds us of the importance of protecting and restoring ecosystems.”

According to information on the UNEP website, to protect the stork, Barman knew she had to change perceptions of the bird, known locally as “hargila” in Assamese (meaning “bone swallower”) and mobilised a group of village women to help her.

Today the “Hargila Army” consists of over 10,000 women.

They protect nesting sites, rehabilitate injured storks which have fallen from their nests and arrange “baby showers” to celebrate the arrival of newborn chicks.

The greater adjutant stork regularly features in folk songs, poems, festivals and plays.

Since Barman started her conservation programme, the number of nests in the villages of Dadara, Pachariya, and Singimari in Kamrup District have risen from 28 to more than 250, making this the largest breeding colony of greater adjutant storks in the world, UNEP said.

“In 2017, Barman began building tall bamboo nesting platforms for the endangered birds to hatch their eggs. Her efforts were rewarded a couple of years later when the first greater adjutant stork chicks were hatched on these experimental platforms,” it added.

Barman said on the UNEP website that one of her biggest rewards has been the sense of pride that has been instilled in the Hargila Army and she hopes their success will inspire the next generation of conservationists to pursue their dreams.

“Being a woman working in conservation in a male-dominated society is challenging but the Hargila Army has shown how women can make a difference,” she said.

UNEP said that since its inception in 2005, the annual Champions of the Earth award has been awarded to trailblazers at the forefront of efforts to protect our natural world.

It is the UN’s highest environmental honour.

To date, the award has recognised 111 laureates: 26 world leaders, 69 individuals and 16 organisations.

This year a record 2,200 nominations from around the world were received.

The other honourees include Arcenciel (Lebanon); Constantino (Tino) Aucca Chutas (Peru); Sir Partha Dasgupta of the United Kingdom and Cecile Bibiane Ndjebet (Cameroon).

newindianexpress.com

With 177 million, India largest contributor to global population milestone of 8 billion: UN

India is expected to surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by next year.

As the world population touched 8 billion on Tuesday, India was the largest contributor to the milestone, having added 177 million people, while China, whose contribution to the next billion in the global population is projected to be in the negative, the UN said.

India is expected to surpass China as the world’s most populous nation by next year.

The UN Population Fund (UNFPA), in a special graphic to mark the global population reaching eight billion, said Asia and Africa has driven much of this growth is expected to drive the next billion by 2037, while Europe’s contribution will be negative due to declining population.

The world added a billion people in the last 12 years. UNFPA said that as the world adds the next billion to its tally of inhabitants, China’s contribution will be negative.

“India, the largest contributor to the 8 billion (177 million) will surpass China, which was the second largest contributor (73 million) and whose contribution to the next billion will be negative, as the world’s most populous nation by 2023,” UNFPA said.

The UN said that it took about 12 years for the world population to grow from 7 to 8 billion, but the next billion is expected to take about 14.5 years (2037), reflecting the slowdown in global growth.

World population is projected to reach a peak of around 10.4 billion people during the 2080s and is expected to remain at that level until 2100.

For the increase from 7 to 8 billion, around 70 per cent of the added population was in low-income and lower-middle-income countries.

For the increase from 8 to 9 billion, these two groups of countries are expected to account for more than 90 per cent of global growth, the UN said.

Between now and 2050, the global increase in the population under the age 65 will occur entirely in low income and lower-middle-income countries, since population growth in high-income and upper-middle income countries will occur only among those aged 65 or more, it said.

The World Population Prospects 2022, released in July this year said that India’s population stands at 1.412 billion in 2022, compared with China’s 1.426 billion.

India is projected to have a population of 1.668 billion in 2050, ahead of China’s 1.317 billion people by the middle of the century.

According to UNFPA estimates, 68 per cent of India’s population is between 15-64 years old in 2022, while people aged 65 and older were seven per cent of the population.

The report had said that the global population is growing at its slowest rate since 1950, having fallen under 1 per cent in 2020.

The world’s population could grow to around 8.5 billion in 2030 and 9.7 billion in 2050.

China is expected to experience an absolute decline in its population as early as 2023, the report had said.

At the launch of the report in July, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Liu Zhenmin had said that countries where population growth has slowed must prepare for an increasing proportion of older persons and, in more extreme cases, a decreasing population size.

“China provides a clear example. With the rapid ageing of its population due to the combined effects of very low fertility and increasing life expectancy, growth of China’s total population is slowing down, a trend that is likely to continue in the coming decades,” Liu said.

The WHO pointed out that China has one of the fastest growing ageing populations in the world.

“The population of people over 60 years in China is projected to reach 28 per cent by 2040, due to longer life expectancy and declining fertility rates,” the WHO said.

In China, by 2019, there were 254 million older people aged 60 and over, and 176 million older people aged 65 and over.

In 2022, the two most populous regions were both in Asia: Eastern and South-Eastern Asia with 2.3 billion people (29 per cent of the global population) and Central and Southern Asia with 2.1 billion (26 per cent).

China and India, with more than 1.4 billion each, accounted for most of the population in these two regions.

More than half of the projected increase in the global population up to 2050 will be concentrated in eight countries: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines and the United Republic of Tanzania.

Countries of sub-Saharan Africa are expected to contribute more than half of the increase anticipated through 2050, the report added.

PTI

telegraphindia.com

Anjan Luthra installed as new Cricket Scotland chair: “Major challenges and opportunities lie ahead”

The former Scotland Under-15, 17 and 19 international, Luthra will take experience in private equity and business into the role. In July, the governing body were found to be institutionally racist.

New Cricket Scotland chair Anjan Luthra has pledged to cleanse the organisation after it was found to be “institutionally racist”.

Luthra has been appointed as Tony Brian’s permanent successor on a two-year deal.

A former Scotland Under-15, 17 and 19 international, Luthra’s main experience comes in private equity and media.

He is the co-founder and chief executive of London-based global media company RAMP. Luthra also created Thrillz, a celebrity video and experience platform.

A chartered accountant having qualified with EY in Scotland, he has experience in restructuring high-profile Scottish firms.

In July, a Plan4Sport Changing The Boundaries report found the governance and leadership of the body, formed in its current guise in 1908, “enabled a culture of racially aggravated micro-aggressions”.

Investigations were triggered after allegations made by former Scotland off-spinner Majid Haq, the country’s leading wicket-taker, and teammate Qasim Sheikh.

Majid told The Cricketer last month the governing body “still don’t get it” after it emerged they were reluctant to suspend a person accused of racial discrimination from their coaching staff for the T20 World Cup.

Prior to the report being made public, the entire Cricket Scotland board resigned and installing a new board is among Luthra’s priorities.

“The Changing the Boundaries report highlighted serious institutional failings and I am committed to implementing the recommendations and findings from the report as we rebuild the organisation, starting with the appointment of independent board members,” he said.

“Major challenges and opportunities lie ahead and I am excited about what the future holds for Cricket Scotland.”

Interim CS ceo Gordon Arthur added: “The chair will lead the governance review that is one of the major recommendations emanating from ‘Changing the Boundaries’ and provides an important bridge to the International Cricket Council, sportscotland and our other stakeholders.”

thecricketer.com

India takes charge of G20 presidency

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday formally took charge of the G20 presidency from Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bali, with the former assuring it will be inclusive, ambitious, decisive and action-oriented.

“Together with every country’s efforts, we can make the G20 summit a catalyst for global welfare,” Modi said at a brief ceremony. In the Bali Declaration to which India had constructively contributed, members deplored in the strongest terms Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and demanded its complete and unconditional withdrawal from the annexed territories. It also deplored Russia’s veiled threats on the use of nuclear weapons, saying it was inadmissible.

“Today’s era must not be of war,” the declaration said, echoing Modi’s remark during his bilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin at Samarkand in September. It acknowledged differences among members on the Ukraine war but emphasised the need to adhere to international law, including the protection of civilians caught in conflicts.

Earlier in the day, while addressing a session on digital transformation, Modi said it could be a force multiplier to fight global poverty. “Can we take a pledge together that in the next 10 years we will bring digital transformation into the life of every human being so that no person in the world will be deprived of the benefits of digital technology?’’ Modi added.

On the sidelines of the G20 meet, Modi held bilateral talks with six heads of state — British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong and Australian PM Antony Albanese.

One interesting talking point was on how Chinese President Xi Jinping went after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over the leaked reports of their bilateral meeting. An agitated Xi was seen saying, “Everything we discuss has been leaked to the paper, that’s not appropriate.” Trudeau responded, saying: “We believe in free and open and frank dialogue.” Xi retorted, “Let us create the conditions first.”

UK, India door opens for 3,000 grads
Britain on Wednesday announced the contours of the UK-India Young Professionals Scheme, under which the UK will offer 3,000 places annually to 18-30-year-old degree-educated Indian nationals to come to the UK to live and work for up to two years. The scheme will be reciprocal. The announcement was made after the first bilateral meeting Modi had with Sunak

newindianexpress.com

Permanent Indian residents can now be part of Canadian military

The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has announced that permanent residents, which includes a large chunk of Indians, are now eligible to join the military.

The announcement came close to Remembrance Day, amidst reports that the Canadian military is struggling to recruit new members to fill thousands of vacant positions.

As of 2021, there were more than eight million immigrants with permanent residence living in Canada – roughly 21.5 per cent of the total Canadian population.

In the same year, nearly 100,000 Indians became permanent residents of Canada as the country admitted a record 405,000 new immigrants in its history.

As per data, Canada is likely to welcome more than a million new permanent residents between 2022 and 2024, which drastically widens the pool of candidates the military can choose from.

Permanent residents were previously only eligible under the Skilled Military Foreign Applicant (SMFA) entry programme, which was “open for individuals… that would reduce training costs or fill a special need… such as a trained pilot or a doctor,” according to the Royal United Services Institute of Nova Scotia, a non-profit body.

The Department of National Defence (DND) is expected to make a formal announcement in the coming days regarding the change to the policy, the CIC News reported.

In March, Canadian Defence Minister Anita Anand said that the CAF needs to grow amid the changing global geopolitical landscape triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In September, the CAF sounded the alarm over a severe shortage of recruits to fill thousands of vacant positions

The Toronto Star reported that Canada is about 12,000 regular force troops short of it’s “full strength” of 100,000 regular force members.

Women make up 16.3 per cent of the Canadian military demographic; Indigenous peoples come in at 2.7 per cent; and visible minorities make up less than 12 per cent of the Canadian military. Three-quarters of its ranks are white men.

Recently, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced that they’re changing their “outdated recruitment process” to allow permanent residents, who have lived in Canada for 10 years, to apply.

Immigration targets have shot up in Canada with nearly a quarter of the population aging out of the workforce by 2030.

The shortage is made more acute by the gradual rise in the number of deaths and the relatively low fertility levels in Canada.

In such a scenario, immigrants become prime candidates for the military as they typically arrive in Canada during their younger working-age years where they are likely to be more physically active, according to immigration experts.

newindianexpress.com

Swara Bhasker part of Cairo International Film Festival’s international competition jury

The 44th edition of CIFF opens with Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” on November 13.

Actor Swara Bhasker has become the first Indian artist to join the international competition jury of the Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF).

Organised by the Egyptian Ministry of Culture, the Cairo International Film Festival is the oldest film festival in the Middle East.

The 44th edition of CIFF opens with Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans” on November 13.

“I’m both grateful and honoured to be a jury member at such an illustrious festival that has for so many decades been a platform for showcasing global cinema.

It is an opportunity to watch some of the best cinema from the region and the world this year and that’s such a treat! I’m absolutely stoked,” Bhasker said in a statement.

Amir Ramses, iconic Egyptian director and festival director of Cairo International Film Festival said they are delighted to have the Indian actor on board.

“CIFF is proud to welcome Swara Bhasker, a noted and versatile actress from India who works across mainstream and independent cinema, as a member of the CIFF’s International Competition Jury.

A dynamic person of multiple talents, Bhasker is a very vocal activist who draws attention to causes that need highlighting as a public speaker and columnist.

CIFF is truly delighted that she brings such a varied experience and sensitivity to judging the films in the main competition of our forthcoming 44th edition,” Rames said.

CIFF’s international competition section contains 14 titles, including five world premieres.

Japanese filmmaker Naomi Kawase will preside over the international jury which also comprises Egyptian cinematographer Nancy Abdelfattah; Egyptian composer Rageh Daoud; Italian actor Stefania Casini; Mexican filmmaker Joaquin Del Paso; and Moroccan actor Samir Guesmi.

CIFF is scheduled to run from November 13 to 22 at the Cairo Opera House.

newindianexpress.com