India's Chandrayaan-3 spacecraft successfully landed near the lunar south pole, marking a major milestone in the country's space endeavours. Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian astronaut, said this signals a remarkable new era of space exploration for India. However, the 75-year-old wistfully added "I think I was born a little early" to fully participate in this new era. Chandrayaan-3's lunar touchdown placed India in an exclusive club of nations as the first to navigate the south pole. Sharma congratulated ISRO for overcoming Chandrayaan-2's challenges and making the historic mission a success, saying he was proud to be Indian.

Noted spiritual leader Morari Bapu expressed jubilation at the successful landing of the Vikram Lander on the moon's surface on Wednesday evening. Morari Bapu, attending a Tulsi Janmotsav event in Mahuva, said the momentous event coincided with Tulsi Jayanti. He was confident of the mission's success as saints and the country prayed for it. Morari Bapu congratulated ISRO scientists, PM Modi and 140 crore Indians. He offered prayers to Lord Hanuman for the mission's success, leading celebratory chants. Earlier, he had prayed for the soft landing and mission's completion.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Greece on Friday for a historic daylong visit, the first by an Indian premier in 40 years. Modi will hold talks with Greece's top leadership to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries. The Indian Prime Minister arrived from South Africa where he attended the 15th BRICS Summit and held meetings with several world leaders. Modi's visit marks an important milestone in relations between India and Greece.

The economic bloc BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has announced the admission of six new member countries from next year. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Argentina, the UAE and Ethiopia will join the group in an attempt to reshape the global world order and provide a counterweight to the US and western allies. The announcement was made at a Brics summit in Johannesburg on Thursday. The expansion more than doubles the size of the bloc, which was set up to give greater economic and political voice to leading emerging economies. The admission of the new members represents a major development for the group.

Former US President Donald Trump returned to the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, with a post showing his mug shot from his booking at Fulton County Jail in Georgia. With his post appealing for donations, Trump reclaimed direct access to the public on the platform that banned him following the January 6, 2021, attack on Congress by his supporters. On November 19, the San Francisco-based app reversed its position under billionaire Elon Musk, the self-proclaimed “free speech absolutist” who bought Twitter on October 2.

Former US President Donald Trump turned himself in on Thursday evening at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta to be booked on felony charges relating to efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia. Trump arrived in a presidential-style motorcade and was booked, fingerprinted and photographed for a mugshot within minutes, according to jail records. He was quickly released after about 20 minutes. Trump said the charges were a "travesty of justice" and he had "every single right to challenge an election we think is dishonest". This was Trump's fourth arrest since April and the first time a former US president had a mugshot taken. The booking occurred in a state where he had contested the election results despite pushback from officials.

Brazilian superstar Neymar could play his first match in India after his Saudi club Al Hilal was drawn into the same Asian Champions League group as Indian side Mumbai City FC. Neymar's big-money move to Al Hilal means he may feature in the tournament's group stage starting September 18. Mumbai City will host matches at Pune's Balewadi Sports Complex, raising the prospect of Neymar gracing Indian soil. Mumbai's coach is eager to face "the best in the world" though it won't be easy. The final schedule is awaited but Neymar's presence adds excitement as top Indian club Mumbai City faces a tough Champions League group including the Brazilian's new Saudi team.

The advance booking for Shah Rukh Khan's comeback film Jawan, directed by Atlee, is set to open on August 27 amid massive anticipation. Sources say Jawan will mark SRK's widest release ever in India as the action thriller eyes records for a Hindi film's opening weekend domestically and overseas. After Pathaan's international success, Jawan's pre-sales are also trending bigger abroad. With cameos from Deepika Padukone and Sanjay Dutt, the September 7 release is Shah Rukh's most ambitious project following his 4-year hiatus. The early advance booking opening highlights the excitement around SRK's return in the action-packed Pan-India film Jawan.

Indian passport holders in the US or Canada on work permits, student visas or as permanent residents require visitor visas for Europe and now face lengthy processing unlike American or Canadian citizens. While Europe is a favoured destination for Indians, visa backlogs can thwart travel plans. Non-resident Indians encounter the same delays, even if applying remotely. According to Sonali Mehendale of Tours R Us, timelines depend on the specific embassy. Unlike citizens, non-citizen Indians abroad still require tourist visas for Europe. In summary, non-resident Indians in the US and Canada confront extra visa hurdles to visit Europe compared to citizens, causing holdups for vacations.

Alia Bhatt's mother-in-law Neetu Kapoor showed her pride on social media after the actress won Best Actress at the 2023 National Film Awards for Gangubai Kathiawadi. Neetu, the mother of Alia's husband Ranbir Kapoor, posted an Instagram story praising her daughter-in-law's achievement. "So proud of you @aliabhatt for your first national award. God bless," she wrote alongside a glamorous photo of Alia. Since Alia and Ranbir's wedding in 2022, Neetu has regularly cheered on Alia's film work and fashion looks. The public message of support underscores the warm welcome Alia has received from the Kapoor family.