Wild wild stuff: How British loot of India's jungles fuelled the world's largest taxidermy firm

The power of two: As Hemant Soren was sworn in as the Jharkhand chief minister for the fourth time, a host of senior INDIA leaders added gravitas to the ceremony. Notably, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s wife Sunita was seated beside him on the stage. In the wake of the Sorens emerging as a power couple from Jharkhand (Hemant’s wife, Kalpana, was re-elected), this hinted at a possible evolution in the political dynamics of states. Himachal Pradesh offers another example of this trend, where both the chief minister, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, and his wife, Kamlesh Thakur, are MLAs | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Surveyor of bricks: Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak’s recent visit to a government hospital in Chandauli turned out to be more eventful than expected. Pathak, who also holds the health portfolio, was quick to point out that the unused bricks lying around were of poor quality. Despite protestations from the officials that those bricks were in fact discarded, Pathak picked up two and said that he could smash them together and, just by the resultant noise, demonstrate that they were indeed of inferior quality. He went on to do just that till an embarrassed official took the bricks from his hands and muttered an apology.

MEA’s media dos: A recent event organised by the ministry of external affairs as part of a familiarisation visit of media delegates from ASEAN member states saw more than its usual share of bonhomie. Indian journalists found familiar faces among the ASEAN group. Many of them had met in the recent past because of a concerted soft-power projection thrust by the MEA to promote media-to-media interactions in the Asia Pacific. The talk this time ranged from Ukraine, Israel and the Quad to the Mahabharat and the Ramayan.

Arabian knight: Aamir Khan might be facing a bit of a slump in Bollywood, but that does not mean he has not made “a lasting impact on the film industry”, as stated by the Red Sea International Film Festival, which is honouring him at its fourth edition in Saudi Arabia. He is joined by Emily Blunt of Oppenheimer fame; the two will also be speaking at the festival’s ‘In Conversation With’ segment. “Cinema has been my lifelong passion, and to be amidst such an inspiring group of artistes from across the world is truly humbling,” said Khan. Previous honorees at the festival―which takes place from December 5-14―are Viola Davis and Egypt’s Mona Zaki | PTI

Just a break, folks: What is common between Grace Kelly, Angus Jones (of Two and a Half Men fame) and Gene Hackman? They were all stars who quit acting at the peak of their career. For a while, it seemed like Vikrant Massey, known for films like The Sabarmati Report, Sector 36 and 12th Fail, was joining that list. On Instagram, he wrote that he was quitting acting the next year. “So coming 2025, we would meet each other for one last time,” he wrote. “Until time deems right. Last two movies and many years of memories. Thank you again.” Many fans and co-stars expressed dismay at the decision. “What? No!” commented Raashii Khanna, who acted with him in The Sabarmati Report. Later on, however, Massey clarified that he was not retiring, but simply taking a much-needed break. Phew | AFP

A concerted effort: Spoiler alert: It is not really aliens who power Taylor Swift’s moving platform during the performance of the song ‘Down Bad’ in her famous Eras Tour. It is actually operated by a crew member who drives it from inside. And the ‘cleaning cart’ in which she is wheeled to the stage for her grand entry is decked with twinkly lights, framed cat art and various other paraphernalia. All this and more is revealed in Swift’s The Eras Tour Book, which was released recently in the US. The 256-page coffee table book is full of behind-the-scenes photos of Swift and her crew during the tour, sketches of her various concert outfits and a portrait series of her guitar collection. Surely a Taylor-made gift for every Swifty | GettyImages

Trophy son: Kareena Kapoor Khan might have won the best actor award in the Web Original Film (Female) category at the Filmfare OTT Awards this year, but the real winner is her son Taimur, who was seen posing with the award. “He thinks it is his but of course it is,” Kareena captioned the photo, which was cuteness overload, felt her fans and friends. “Cuti Baba,” commented bestie Malaika Arora Khan, while sister Karisma flooded the post with heart emojis. Kareena won the award for her role in Sujoy Ghosh’s Jaane Jaan, about a single mother caught in a criminal investigation, but we all know who her real ‘jaane jaan’ is! | AFP