Month: July 2022

Bollywood actor, Sara Ali Khan, on Saturday, dropped a sneak peek from a post-workout session, flaunting her toned body with her gym buddy.

Taking to Instagram, the ‘Atrangi Re’ actor shared a post on her story in which she struck a pose to the camera lens. The actor can be seen holding a dumbbell in her left hand, whereas she makes a ‘V’ sign with her right hand.

The ‘Simmba’ actor donned a black sports bra and gym pants.

In another picture, shared by the actor, she can be seen having her drink with her friend, as they struck a pose at a park under a tree.

The ‘Kedarnath’ actor is quite an active social media user and has been treating her fans with her stunning pictures on her social media.

Recently, the 26-year-old actor is currently shooting for her upcoming project in London.

Recently, the ‘Coolie no.1’ actor shared a reunion picture on her Instagram, where she can be seen posing with her father Saif Ali Khan, and her brothers Ibrahim Ali Khan and Jeh Ali Khan.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Sara will be next seen in producer Dinesh Vijan and director Laxman Utekar’s next yet-to-be-titled film alongside Vicky Kaushal

Apart from that she also has ‘Gaslight’ with Vikrant Massey and Chitrangada Singh. (ANI)

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was on Saturday elected “president for lifetime” of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress (YSRC).

The decision was taken at the concluding day of the YSRC’s two-day plenary after an amendment to the party’s constitution.
Party’s Parliamentary Party Leader Vijayasai Reddy said earlier in the day that Jagan Mohan Reddy will be made lifetime president of YSRCP.

YS Vijayamma, mother of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, had said on Friday that she is thinking of stepping aside from her role as honorary president of YSRCP to help her daughter YS Sharmila in Telangana.

Sharmila floated YSR Telangana Party last year with a view to fight the assembly polls in the state.

Vijayasai Reddy also said that support is required for Sharmila in Telangana at present.

“Support for YS Sharmila is required in Telangana at this time… Our present party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will be made lifetime president of YSRCP. In this plenary, a proposal was mooted,” he said.

Jagan Mohan Reddy formed the YSRCP in March 2011 after severing ties with the Congress and has held the post of party president while his mother Vijayamma has been honorary president.

Vijayamma said on Friday that when Jagan Mohan Reddy was in trouble she was with him and now she should support her daughter.

“I am thinking of stepping aside from this party. Sharmila is fighting alone. As Rajasekhara Reddy’s wife and mother of Sharmila I have to stand with her, my heart tells me,” Vijayamma had said at the party’s national plenary.

“When he (YS Jagan Mohan Reddy) was in trouble I was with him, now he is happy here. My daughter (YS Sharmila) is fighting alone, if I don’t support her, it will be injustice…I am telling you all about this and I request all to forgive me,” she added.

Telangana will go for assembly polls in 2023. Vijayamma’s remarks indicated that Sharmila will get the full backing of the party in the assembly polls. (ANI)

As the flood situation in Assam has been improving, the authorities are now worried about rising cases of water and vector-borne diseases in the flood-affected areas.

According to the Assam State Health department, so far 74 cases of Japanese Encephalitis have been reported in the state this year and seven people have succumbed to the infection.

In the last 24 hours, 25 new cases of Japanese Encephalitis have been reported in the state and two people died.

In central Assam’s Nagaon district, one person succumbed to the infection and three new cases have been detected.

The health team visited many areas under the Raha assembly constituency and took blood samples from the villagers.

“So far four JE cases have been reported in our locality. Our medical teams have visited the flood-affected areas and collected samples from the villagers,” Sub-Divisional Medical Officer, Dr Liladhar Das said.

“As a preventive measure, people should use some insecticide. It’s advisable to wear full-sleeved shirts. We’ve been conducting awareness camps,” Naba Jyoti Das, Community Health Officer said.

In view of the rising number of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES)/Japanese Encephalitis (JE) cases in the state, the state health department has advised all districts to create separate wards for the management of AES/JE cases with dedicated ICU beds.

Oxygen beds are to be arranged in all district hospitals, and procedural sample collection is mandatory for AES cases in all district hospitals by specialist doctors with all aseptic precautions in order to avoid death.

Proper AES cases are to be identified and verified through the medical process, and transportation of suspected or confirmed cases of AES/JE is to be done in the ambulance with a life support system and as per JE transportation guidelines.

The National Health Mission, Assam has set up a state control room (Toll-Free number 104) to deal with the current JE situation and directed every district to set up a District Control Room with the phone numbers of the District Malaria Officer (DMO)/ District Surveillance Officer (DSO) which has to be publicized/shared with the people for any emergency.

The Deputy Commissioner has been directed to notify a District Rapid Response Team and the team has to analyze each and every AES case and identify gaps in management and submit weekly reports to state headquarter.

On the other hand, the death toll in floods and landslides in the state has mounted to 190 this year so far. (ANI)

Amid the ongoing heavy rainfall from Sonprayag onwards in Uttarakhand, the Kedarnath Yatra has been stopped once again for ensuring the safety of the pilgrims amid the apprehensions of untoward incidents, the Rudraprayag district administration informed on Saturday.

Earlier on June 30, the Rudraprayag police at the Sirobgad area had informed about the district being closed till 4 AM after the debris and stones kept falling from the hill, which resulted in the traffic being jammed on both sides of the highway.
Badrinath highway was also blocked due to the falling of several boulders at the Birahi and Pagal Nala area, following the overnight rainfall on June 25.

Meanwhile, on May 17, the traffic movement was disrupted on the Badrinath route, NH7, near Panchpulia in Karnaprayag after the boulders fell from the hill.

As per the Badri-Kedar Temple Committee on June 18, atleast 7 lakh 27 thousand pilgrims had visited Kedarnath since its doors were opened on May 6.

The India Meteorological Department has predicted isolated heavy rainfall over Uttarakhand on Sunday and Wednesday (July 10 and July 13).

The IMD has also forecasted extremely heavy rainfall over Uttarakhand for today (Saturday, July 9).

“Isolated heavy rainfall very likely over Jammu & Kashmir on 09th and 10th; Himachal Pradesh on 10th, 12th and 13th and over Uttarakhand on 10th and 13th July 2022,” IMD said in a tweet.

“…Isolated extremely heavy rainfall also likely over Uttarakhand on 09th July 2022,” it added. (ANI)

As Pakistan’s economy continues to remain in shambles, the country’s central bank State Bank of Pakistan has given out an SOS call to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government of its waning foreign exchange reserves and its negative impact on country’s ability to import.

The bank has warned the government that if the dwindling foreign exchange reserves are not tackled it will become hard for the country to sustain imports from other nations, local media reported.
This SOS call comes amid an acute decline in the bank’s Forex reserves. SBP’s Forex reserves fell to USD 8.24 billion on June 17. This trend of diminishing reserves is likely to continue due to the pressure of debt on the country, reported media portal, Asian Lite.

In order to facilitate the preservation of the decreasing Forex, SBP has advocated a temporary ban on import of all non-essential goods. The bank has apparently stressed the risk of increasing fuel imports in view of the energy security of the country.

The total petroleum import in Pakistan was USD 9.7 billion during the fiscal year 2020-21. However, global inflation has pushed Pakistan’s import bills to more than USD 14.46 billion in July-April period of the current fiscal year. With the increase in imports, the country’s Forex position tightened.

As Pakistan has also risen its energy imports the Forex reserves are deteriorating to an extent of posing a threat to country’s ability to import fuel.

The Pakistani government has already withdrawn many subsidies on fuel, which resulted in a sharp increase in domestic energy prices. According to SBP, the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum should be asked to formulate and implement stringent policy measures to contain the demand for energy products, as per the media portal.

To add insult to injury, the depreciating Pakistani Rupee (PKR) is further compounding the problem. Its steady depreciation continues with the exchange rate reaching from PKR 199/USD on June 6 to PKR 207/US D on July 6, 2022.

It is a vicious cycle that Pakistan is trapped in. It is worth noting that depreciating currency leads to a rise in fuel import bills which makes the fiscal position even weaker. On currency, SBP has recently attempted some large-scale interventions in the market. However, its limited capacity to control the exchange rate has yielded only paltry returns. (ANI)

Ahead of Eid-ul-Azha (Bakrid), Indore has been witnessing shortages of goats for Eid due to high demand from the parts of the country including south India. As the demand for goats has been increasing, the prices have also hiked.

Speaking to ANI, the President of Madhya Pradesh Sheep and Goat Traders Association Haji Nawab Qureshi said ten days before the market was down, now as Eid is closer, the demand for goats has increased and prices have also hiked.

“However, transportation cost is one of the reasons for price hikes. Hundreds of goats send to markets in Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Banglore. Likewise, goats were transported from Rajashthan and Uttar Pradesh to Indore. Due to the increase in transportation costs, the price for goats also increased,” Qureshi said.

He said that compared to last year, the business is doing good this year.

Indian Air Force (IAF) has pressed its transport and helicopters into service for rescue and relief operations after a cloudburst incident near the cave shrine of Amarnath in Jammu and Kashmir.

At least 16 people have died in the cloudburst incident that took place on Friday evening and damaged several tents.
“Indian Air Force has pressed its transport and helicopter assets into service for rescue and relief operations at Amarnath. Mi-17V5 helicopters have inducted NDRF and civil administration personnel at Panchtarni and rescued 21 survivors. The helicopters have also brought back six mortal remains. Further operations by IAF Mi-17V5 and Cheetal helicopters are in progress. Aircraft are on standby at all major air bases in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh areas,” IAF said in a statement.

NDRF DG Atul Karwal told ANI on Saturday that there are 16 people have died and about 40 still seem to be missing.

“There is no landslide, but rain continues, though there is no problem in rescue work. Four NDRF teams with over 100 rescuers are in rescue work. Besides, Indian Army, BSF, SDRF, CRPF and others continue with the rescue operation,” he said.

ITBP PRO Vivek Kumar Pandey said rescue operation has been intensified.

“Around 30-40 people are still missing we have got information from the local administration. The weather is clear near the Amarnath cave. The injured people have been brought to the base using helicopters. Yatra is still on hold and we are advising people not to move ahead,” he said. (ANI)

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar’s first look from his upcoming untitled film has been leaked.

In the leaked picture, the ‘Khiladi’ actor could be seen in the role of a Punjabi character as he stands in a mustard field, a grim look on his face. Akshay had donned a striped light blue shirt along with a maroon-red turban on his head, which is typical of many Punjabis. The actor had sported a full-grown beard for his role as well, alongside a pair of glasses.

The yet-to-be-announced film title, starring Akshay Kumar is produced by Pooja Entertainment. According to official reports, the film will begin its shooting in London. Helmed by Tinu Suresh Desai, this Akshay Kumar-starrer revolves around the story of a rescue mission from a coal mine.

The intriguing look of Akshay is indeed quite intriguing, paving way for the curiosity to rise.

Talking about Akshay Kumar, he has last seen in director Chandraprakesh Dwivedi’s historical drama ‘Samrat Prithviraj’ opposite former Miss World Manushi Chillar. It was produced by Yash Raj Productions and was released in theatres on June 3 this year. Sanjay Dutt and Sonu Sood starred in the film as well.

Apart from that, he is also a part of the comedy-drama ‘Raksha Bandhan’. Directed by Aanand L Rai and written by Himanshu Sharma and Kanika Dhillon, the film is produced by Colour Yellow Productions, Zee Studios, and Alka Hiranandani in association with Cape Of Good Films.

‘Raksha Bandhan’ also stars Bhumi Pednekar, Sahil Mehta, and Deepika Khanna. It is slated to release in theatres on August 11 this year. (ANI)

After thousands of enraged protestors on Saturday barged into his residence in Colombo, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa reportedly fled his home, according to local media.

Lankan local publication Daily Mirror reported that several gunshots were heard being fired in the air and police unsuccessfully used tear gas to ward off protestors who surrounded the presidential residence.
Protestors have entered the President’s House, tweeted the Daily Mirror.

Sri Lanka’s police imposed a curfew in several police divisions in Western Province with effect from 9 pm local time Friday until further notice as ahead of a planned protest today demanding the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

Strict action will be taken on those violating the curfew, the police said. The Sri Lankan publication said travelling through the areas where police curfew is in effect is completely prohibited and police had advised people to use other alternative routes.

The worsening economic situation in the country has led to increasing tensions and over the last few weeks there were reports of several confrontations between individuals and members of the police force and the armed forces at fuel stations where thousands of desperate members of the public have queued for hours and sometimes days. Police have used tear gas and water cannon at times in an unnecessary and disproportionate manner. On occasions, armed forces have also fired live ammunition.

Sri Lanka is suffering its worst economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948, which comes on the heels of successive waves of COVID-19, threatening to undo years of development progress and severely undermining the country’s ability to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The oil supply shortage has forced schools and government offices to close until further notice. Reduced domestic agricultural production, a lack of foreign exchange reserves, and local currency depreciation have fuelled the shortages. The economic crisis will push families into hunger and poverty – some for the first time – adding to the half a million people who the World Bank estimates have fallen below the poverty line because of the pandemic.

Some 6.26 million Sri Lankans, or three in 10 households, are unsure of where their next meal is coming from, according to the latest food insecurity assessment from the World Food Programme (WFP), released on Wednesday.

In the wake of record food price inflation, skyrocketing fuel costs and widespread commodity shortages, some 61 per cent of households are regularly using coping strategies to cut down on costs, such as reducing the amount they eat and consuming increasingly less nutritious meals.

Amid the ongoing economic crisis and shortage of fuel and gas, Sri Lanka’s Church of Ceylon has called on President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to immediately resign alleging they have failed to take any meaningful steps to alleviate the suffering of the people. (ANI)

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday called on President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

“Eknath Shinde, Chief Minister of Maharashtra, along with Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister, called on President Ram Nath Kovind at Rashtrapati Bhavan,” Rashtrapati Bhavan tweeted.

According to the sources, Shinde and Fadnavis are likely to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later in the day.

He will also meet BJP President JP Nadda.

On Friday, Shinde and Fadnavis met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and discussed the new government to be formed in Maharashtra and many other subjects.

Earlier in June this year, Eknath Shinde led a group of Sena MLAs against the MVA government, resulting in it losing its majority in the Maharashtra assembly. This also led Shiv Sena chief Thackeray to step down as CM ahead of a floor test.

In Maharashtra, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister of the new government have been sworn in while the rest of the ministers are to be sworn in.

Sources said that more than a dozen people of the Shinde camp can be made ministers. Current eight ministers of the Uddhav government had joined his rebellion along with Shinde. In such a situation, all of them can be made ministers once again.

The visit comes as the first tour for Shinde after taking charge of the office as the CM. With the buzz of the Maharashtra cabinet being expanded in two phases doing rounds, the meeting is significant as reportedly the first announcements of the cabinet will be made before the presidential elections.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde formally took the charge of Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) on Thursday in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Shinde won the floor test in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on the last day of the two-day special session of the House. In the 288-member House, 164 MLAs voted for the motion of confidence, while 99 voted against it.

Three legislators abstained from voting, while Congress’s Ashok Chavan and Vijay Wadettiwar were among those absent during the trust vote.

Shinde was sworn in as CM on June 30, a day after Uddhav Thackeray quit the post. BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the deputy CM. (ANI)