This is your captain speaking: It’s not every day that a Delhi-Patna flight has a parliamentarian in the cockpit. Days before the Bihar assembly elections, passengers were pleasantly surprised when BJP leader Rajiv Pratap Rudy decided to log some flying hours by piloting a commercial flight himself. He invited fliers to admire the Himalayas, explained that a cruising altitude of 32,000ft meant 9km above ground, and gave a weather update no one could feel (minus 50 degrees Celsius outside). He also acknowledged distinguished passengers on board and cheerfully posed for selfies once the plane landed ahead of time in Patna | Illustrations by Jairaj T.G.

Talking about the Reel issues: The last day of the autumn session in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly, on October 31, wasn’t about laws or debate, but Reels. Both ruling and opposition benches found rare common ground, not in policy, but in protest against social media platforms. It began when National Conference leader Javaid Mirchal claimed that a local handle had posted a video accusing him of watching Reels during the session. “I was asking about doctors, not watching dance moves,” Mirchal said, adding that the viral clip kept him up all night. “Action should be taken against these paid agents.” Former deputy speaker Nazir Ahmad Khan backed him, vowing to move a privilege motion against the offenders. The speaker promised to look into the matter, with some journalists in the gallery joking that the investigation might also go viral.

Tactical entry: V.D. Satheesan works on a tight schedule. On November 1, the leader of opposition was expected to reach the venue of the ASHA workers’ protest in front of the Kerala secretariat by 11.30am, before catching a 12.15pm train from Thiruvananthapuram. Interestingly, one of the people at the protest site on the final day was former MLA and state Youth Congress president Rahul Mamkootathil. Once considered close to Satheesan, Mamkootathil was suspended from the party following multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Satheesan ran late, reaching only after Mamkootathil had left. This prompted speculation that he had intentionally avoided sharing the stage with the young leader. Satheeshan’s office, though, said the delay was because of an internal party meeting. When he finally arrived—about 25 minutes late—he delivered a three-minute speech before rushing to the railway station. As soon as he left, Mamkootathil returned to stand in solidarity with the ASHA workers.

New knight: ‘Bend it like Beckham’ got a whole new meaning recently when the former England football captain was formally knighted by King Charles III. He bent his knee as King Charles tapped his shoulders with the blade of a sword. He will henceforth be known as Sir David Beckham. The honour was in recognition of his services to football and British society. Beckham was joined by his wife Victoria and parents Sandra and David at Windsor Castle for the ceremony. “I couldn’t be prouder,” said Beckham. “People know how patriotic I am—I love my country.” | AFP

Love is in the algorithm: Instagram-official is the new official! Actor Jennifer Aniston confirmed her relationship with mental health and hypnotherapy coach Jim Curtis on his birthday, posting a photo of them hugging. The F.R.I.E.N.D.S star had soft-launched their relationship at the premiere of the latest season of The Morning Show in September. A few days after the ‘official’ confirmation, Curtis took to Instagram to share their never-before-seen photos, captioning them, ‘If this is a dream I don’t want to wake up.” | Getty Images

In Mom’s footsteps: Khushi Kapoor, it seems, will be taking forward her mother Sridevi’s legacy with Mom 2. As per reports, Khushi and Karishma Tanna will headline the sequel to Mom (2017); Sridevi posthumously won the National Award (best actress) for Mom. The sequel will be a fresh story with new characters but with the touch of the original film’s suspense and drama. Mom 2 will be produced by Khushi’s father Boney Kapoor and directed by Girish Kohli, who wrote Mom | AFP

Mr ‘Hot’shot: Jonathan Bailey has been crowned People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive 2025. When asked about how he felt about winning the coveted title, the British actor said, “I mean, I giggle. Obviously, incredibly flattered. And it’s completely absurd.” He reportedly becomes the first openly gay actor to join the club. Bailey, who will next be seen in Wicked: For Good, gained wider recognition with the Bridgerton series. With that, he became the object of all our (gay or not) desires | Getty Images