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New Delhi, Aug 2 (Ians) The All India Football Federation (Aiff) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Subroto Mukherjee Sports Education Society (Smses) here, to promote youth football.

As per Aiff, the federation as well as Smses will benefit from this MoU that will see the prestigious Subroto Cup, an inter-school football tournament, being raised to newer heights.

“Collaborating with the Subroto Cup is another decision to further strengthen our youth football structure and that way, our schools will be much more integrated into the competitive football structure in India. This collaboration between the Subroto Mukherjee Sports Education Society and the Aiff will bring a lot of positive changes in the organisation and overall impact of the Subroto Cup, which will make a big change in the youth football ecosystem in the larger scheme of things” said Aiff Secretary General Dr Shaji Prabhakaran.

“It will encourage more...

Director: Hemant Gaba. Cast: Priyanshu Chatterjee, Madhoo Shah, Meet Mukhi, Aekam Binjwe, Varun Kapoor, Luke Kenny, Akshat Singh and Zoya Afroz.

Ians Rating: ***1/2

Zee5, the largest original content creator in India, is bringing a variety of films and shows for the audience to keep them hooked. With the Ott space’s high propensity for edgy and experimental content, here comes a breath of fresh air in the form of Zee5’s new show ‘Fireflies: Parth Aur Jugnu’, which will make you relive your love for fantasy!

Set in the backdrop of a real Indian family unit, dealing with the common man’s problems, ‘Fireflies: Parth Aur Jugnu’ is a story of a 14-year-old dispirited boy named Parth who meets a mystical kid named Jugnu from the haunted forests of Bheem Mukhteshwar.

The encounter leads to an action-packed adventure of self-discovery and a ride of laughter and live action in a never-seen-before avatar!

The trailer of fantasy drama series, ‘Fireflies – Parth aur Jugnu was unveiled on Wednesday. It shows a down-and-out fourteen-year-old kid, Parth (played by Meet Mukhi) who meets a mystical kid named Jugnu (played by Aekam Binjwe).

Jugnu hails from the haunted forest of Bheem Mukteshwar. Both of them embark on a journey full of adventure peppered with action, self-discovery, and bedtime stories. It stars Meet Mukhi, Aekam Binjwe, Madhoo Shah, Priyanshu Chaterjee, Luke Kenny, Akshat Singh, Zoya Afroz, Varun Kapoor, Harshit Bhojwani, Anaya Shivan, Riva Arora, Rahul Singh, and Hitesh Dave in key roles. The series has been helmed by National award-winning filmmaker, Hemant Gaba from a script by Alok Sharma.

Actor Luke Kenny said “Fireflies is a show unlike any in the Indian Ott space. It not only combines mythology and important life lessons but also provides entertainment and enlightenment. The show is a perfect mix of action-packed adventure,...

Popular actress Ridhi Dogra, who is known for her work in television and the streaming series ‘Asur’, is set to make her Bollywood debut with the upcoming film ‘Lakadbaggha’. The story is about an ordinary boy on an extraordinary mission – to fight against illegal animal trade industry.

The teaser poster of the film was unveiled recently and has a pop vibe to it with its physical setting in the city of Kolkata.

Talking about the project, Ridhi said in a statement: “This film is special at many levels. At the heart of it is the story. Not everyday you see a film that has a good mix of content with masala. This film delves into the plight of animals and their welfare. That instantly made me want to do it as my bollywood debut. Second thing was the action and the character I got to play.

The film, directed by...

After two weeks of talks and a one-day extension, negotiators from almost 200 nations reached a climate agreement Saturday to ramp up efforts to address global climate change. But the United Nations secretary general warned that it is “not enough” to prevent climate disruptions.

“The outcome of COP26 is a compromise. It reflects the interests, the contradictions and the state of political will in the world today. It is an important step, but it is not enough,” António Guterres said in a video released shortly after the agreement was announced. “It...

Can storytelling help save the planet? Netflix thinks so: The company worked with the team behind the United Nations’ COP26 international climate conference to curate a collection of sustainability stories on the streaming service.

The Netflix “Together for Our Planet” collection of 30 TV shows, films and documentaries includes real-life nature documentaries like “Our Planet” and Oscar-winner “My Octopus Teacher”; climate-science docs like “Breaking Boundaries”; dramas like Norwegian TV series “Ragnorak”; sustainability travelogue series “Down to Earth With Zac Efron”; and films including Bong Joon-ho’s pro-vegetarian fantasy “Okja” (pictured above) and Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax.”

To be sure, Netflix also sees an opportunity to incrementally boost its subscriber rolls as well as burnish its brand with the eco-friendly content initiative.

Netflix customers can browse the collection at this link. The company also is making episodes from original series “Our Planet” and “Explained,” as well as feature-length documentary “Chasing Coral,” available...

Global Citizen, the international advocacy organization behind this spring’s massive Vax Live event at L.A.’s Sofi Stadium, on Tuesday announced Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour live broadcast with events and performances filmed across six continents to unite the world to defend the planet and defeat poverty.

Artists and entertainers participating include Adam Lambert, Alessia Cara, Andrea Bocelli, Angélique Kidjo, Billie Eilish, BTS, Burna Boy, Camila Cabello, Christine and the Queens, Coldplay, Davido, Demi Lovato, DJ Snake, Doja Cat, Duran Duran, Ed Sheeran, Femi Kuti, Green Day, H.E.R., Hugh Jackman & Deborra-lee Furness, Keith Urban, Lang Lang, Lizzo, Lorde, Metallica, Rag’n’Bone Man, Ricky Martin, Shawn Mendes, The Lumineers, The Weeknd, Tiwa Savage, Usher and more to be announced.

With performances in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America, Global Citizen Live will take place on Saturday, September 25, 2021. Like Vax Live, the new event will air across multiple channels,...

New Delhi, Dec 4 (Ians) UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday announced a new ambitious target to reduce his country's emissions by at least 68 per cent by 2030, compared with the 1990 levels.

The UK's new target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the country's Nationally Determined Contribution (Ndc) under the Paris Climate Agreement, is among the highest in the world and commits the nation to emission cuts at the fastest rate for any major economy so far.

The announcement came ahead of co-hosting of the Climate Ambition Summit by the UK on December 12, which will coincide with the fifth anniversary of the historic Paris Agreement.

The summit calls on countries around the world to submit ambitious NDCs or other climate plans as the UK heads towards the Un COP26 climate talks, which the government will host in Glasgow next year.

The new target meets the recommendation of experts at the independent Climate Change Committee,...

London, Dec 5 (Ians) Britain and the European Union (EU) remain hopeful of a post-Brexit trade deal despite talks are currently in a difficult phase, local media reported.

Brexit trade talks are set to continue on Friday night as EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier remains in London, Sky News reported.

On Thursday, a senior British government source accused the EU team of "bringing new elements into the negotiation" at the 11th hour, adding that a breakthrough was "still possible in the next few days but that prospect is receding", according to the BBC.

It quoted British Business Secretary Alok Sharma that the talks were "in a difficult phase" and that the country wanted the EU to recognize it as "a sovereign and independent nation" for any deal that can be reached, Xinhua news agency reported.

French Minister of State for European Affairs Clement Beaune has said his government could "veto" any deal reached,...

The organisation warns many businesses are ‘on the brink of collapse’.

Many creative businesses are on the “brink of collapse”, according to the UK’s Creative Industries Federation (Cif), following research indicating 42% of firms have suffered a total loss of income.

According to a Cif survey of almost 2000 creative organisations and freelancers, some 42% of businesses and 62% of individuals have lost all income.

Almost two-thirds (63%) of creative organisations are predicting their annual turnover will plummet at least 50% by the end of the year, with a similar number (62%) facing considerable cash flow issues.

In a letter to culture secretary Oliver Dowden and business secretary Alok Sharma,...

Soccer Aid for Unicef today announced that the 2019 campaign raised a record-breaking £7.9m – with 100% of the money going towards Unicef’s vital work around the world saving lives and helping children grow up happy, healthy and able to play.

The star-studded match, which was broadcast live on ITV and Stv on Sunday 16th June, has surpassed previous fundraising records thanks to the public, ITV viewers, corporate partners, a host of A-list celebrities and the UK government – who matched donations up to £3m. £1.1m more was raised compared to the 2018 fixture. This means that to date, in excess of £38m has been raised since the first match 13 years ago.

It was also revealed today that next year’s game, due to take place during June 2020, will return to the Theatre of Dreams, Old Trafford – the original home of Soccer Aid for Unicef where the first match took place in 2006. It will...