Month: September 2022

Alia Launches Maternity Wear

By LokMarg

Actor Alia Bhatt, on Friday, announced that she is coming up with her own line of maternity wear.

Taking to Instagram, the mom-to-be explained what made her launch her own maternity-wear collection.

“It’s not like I’ve bought maternity clothes before. But when I got down to it, I was overwhelmed. You don’t know how you’re going to look or feel over the next few months and let’s be honest, not being able to find the right thing to wear can be stressful,” she said.

She also mentioned that she even considered borrowing her husband Ranbir’s oversized clothes. “Do I buy brands I already wear but in a bigger size? Should I raid Ranbir’s wardrobe? And just because my body is changing doesn’t mean my sense of style has to, right?”

She said that she added elastic to her favorite jeans and designed shirts that she didn’t have to share with Ranbir. She also wore flowy dresses to avoid ‘any unwanted belly touching. Alia shared the post with a heart hands emoji.

“So I started making my personal style more bump-friendly,” I added elastic to my favorite jeans, designed shirts that I didn’t have to share with my husband, and wore flowy dresses so as to not invite any unwanted belly-touching. Comfort took priority over any ‘airport looks. What started off as me trying to fill a gap in my existing wardrobe, led to an entire maternity collection. And I can’t wait to give you a sneak peek tomorrow!” she concluded.

It’s only on the sets of Brahmastra only where the two fell in love with each other, and after dating for five years, Ranbir and Alia tied the knot in April 2022 in a close-knit ceremony at their residence. In June, Alia announced her pregnancy on Instagram as she shared a photo from the hospital. (ANI)

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Russian President Vladimir Putin

Putin Signs Independence Decree Of Zaporizhia, Kherson

By LokMarg

In a major move by Russia, President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree recognizing the so-called “independence” of the Ukrainian regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, media reports said.

The decree will be followed by Russia formally proclaiming the annexation of Ukrainian territory by hosting a ceremony in Moscow, reported Al Jazeera. “I order the recognition of the state sovereignty and independence” of Zaporizhia and Kherson in southern Ukraine, reported Al Jazeera citing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The two regions are set to be incorporated into Russia along with the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk at a ceremony in the Kremlin on Friday. This comes after, as the West calls it, a sham referendum.”

In the referendum in the Russian-occupied regions, Russia said that it has received a majority in its favour. Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in the month of February and soon after recognised the ‘independence’ of Donetsk and Luhansk in the same month.

Moreover, the UN Security Council is set to vote Friday on a resolution that would seek to condemn Russia for its referenda in four regions under Russian control but claimed by Ukraine, media reports said.

The US-sponsored resolution would call on all countries not to recognise the change in the status of the four regions, CNN reported. The resolution, which is also backed by Albania, would reaffirm the UN commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said any annexation of a state’s territory by another state resulting from a “threat or use of force” is a violation of the UN charter and international law.

“In this moment of peril, I must underscore my duty as Secretary-General to uphold the @UNCharter. The charter is clear. Any annexation of a state’s territory by another state resulting from the threat or use of force is a violation of the Principles of the Charter & international law,” Guterres tweeted.

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Russia of the annexation of Ukrainian territories and called it illegal under international laws, media reports said. Describing Russia’s move as an act of ‘land grab’, the top US diplomat said that the US will never recognise the annexation by Moscow.

“The Kremlin’s sham referenda are a futile effort to mask what amounts to a further attempt at a land grab in Ukraine,” Blinken said in a statement.

Earlier, Kremlin said that Russia will hold a signing ceremony on Friday to incorporate the annexed four occupied regions of Ukraine.

“Tomorrow in the Georgian Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace at 15:00 [1200 GMT] a signing ceremony will take place on the incorporation of the new territories into Russia,” Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday. (ANI)

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Tharoor Manifesto

Tharoor Shows a Distorted Map Of India, In Manifesto

By LokMarg

Congress presidential candidate Shashi Tharoor landed in a controversy on Friday as the manifesto shared by him for the election shows a “distorted map of India” in which he has omitted parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

He shared the distorted map of India, where he talked about ‘the decentralization of the organization.
The goof-up by Tharoor, who is running for the president’s post of the country’s oldest party does not show good precedent.

Later Tharoor rectified the blunder by replacing it with the correct map of India in his election manifesto.

This is not the first time the Lok Sabha MP has shared a distorted map of India. Earlier in 2019, Tharoor shared a ‘distorted’ map of India on Twitter. The northernmost territory of the country was missing from the map shared by the Congress leader.

In December 2019, he shared the cover of a booklet about the Kerala Congress’s protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). He later deleted the tweet and rectified his mistake.

Tharoor has issued a manifesto explaining how he intends to rejuvenate the party through decentralization and internal reorganization if he wins the election.

“Every party needs leadership, but at all levels and not just at the top. The Congress must empower the party in the states by giving real authority to the PCC Presidents, decentralizing authority, and truly empowering the grassroots office-bearers of the party. We must provide a credible alternative to the BJP ‘s centralization of authority in its party affairs and in the affairs of governance. “Re-imagining the organization, delegating powers to the state, district, and block leaders, and empowering grassroots workers will not only free the new leader from the onerous burdens of over-administration but help create the strong state leadership that in past eras strengthened the Congress’ national appeal,” the Congress leader’s manifesto reads.

He also promised to increase focus on youth and to give a bigger role to women in the party

“The Congress will support leadership by women, for women, in keeping with the “Ladki boon, lad Sakti hoon” principle. Women will be encouraged to take up issues that actually matter to women in our society. More positions for women should be reserved in PCCs and in the electoral fray. The party will work to pass the women’s reservation bill. “In these efforts, the role and capacity of the All India Mahila Congress will be strengthened,” the manifesto reads.

Tharoor filed his nomination at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) office in the national capital. Before that, he visited the Raj Ghat to pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi.

“There is a need for decentralization in this party. We are not an election machine for winning elections every five years. “We must serve the people of India,” Tharoor said.

He said the manifesto explains “how we hope to rejuvenate the party, to decentralize the organization of the party.”

“In my own efforts, I am guided by the crores of party workers who have taken the party through good times and bad and who are once again hoping for a renewed, dynamism and energy in the Congress party,” he said addressing a press conference.

“This is what I hope to bring to and through my campaign. I have a vision for Congress, for the internal reorganization of the congress, which I will send to every delegate. We are pleased that we have the signatures of party colleagues from Kashmir to Kerala and Punjab to Nagaland. I am here to be the voice of all the party workers,” Tharoor added.

The senior Congress leader also hit out at the BJP government at the Centre, saying things are “not really functioning properly” in the country.

“We have seen that things are not really functioning properly in our country: demonetization, historical unemployment, inflation. Congress should be the party to bring change,” he said.

Tharoor will primarily take on another veteran leader of the Congress, Mallikarjun Kharge, for the party president post. Jharkhand Congress leader KN Tripathi, too, has filed his nomination.

Earlier, Digvijaya Singh and Ashok Gehlot said that they have dropped out of the race.

The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister visited Kharge at his residence this morning. “I told him that I stand by him and can’t even think of contesting against him, I will be his proposer,” Singh told reporters.

Nominations for the post of Congress president closed at 3 pm today, and results will be declared on October 19. (ANI)

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Of What Use Are Multiplexes When Kashmiri Apples Rot on Highway

By LokMarg

Nida Nawaz, a Srinagar-based writer, says Kashmiri people who live under an uncertainty about their future have little time to rejoice the return of cinema halls in Valley

The recent opening of a movie theatre in Kashmir has been celebrated in the mainstream media. But the ground reality is different from what people in the rest of the country perceive. A day after I saw the news of movie theatre reopening in Shopian and Pulwama, I went there to find out the ground reality.

The locals told me that some government employees had come the previous day with some chairs and mounted a screen on them. That is how the so-called inauguration took place. Unfortunately, most of the people in this area are not even aware of the existence of a movie hall. For them, it is life as usual.

There is so much of daily surveillance and control mechanism in Kashmir that the people cannot afford to think anything else, let alone going to a cinema hall for entertainment! People are living under constant threat and pressure. How could anyone imagine watching a film in a movie theatre and rejoicing over it?

At the same time, I find it pitiable that many among the young generations in Kashmir have never seen a movie theatre in their lifetime. It is hard to imagine that there has been no operational movie hall in the Valley for more than three decades.

ALSO READ: ‘Netas Running Their Shops, Kashmiris Want To Run Theirs’

I remember during my university years, we often skipped our classes to watch a popular movie. When militancy struck Kashmir, the cinema culture was one of the first casualty. The Kashmiri youth today have no idea of a movie-going culture. Their concerns are entirely different. They are under immense psychological and economic pressure due to uncertainty about their future. They need jobs, they need peace and prosperity.

L-G Sinha inaugurates multiplex in Srinagar, and (right) apple growers burn their crop in protest

The return of the movie theatre in Kashmir is mere optics. Everything operates here on contract. For example, if a flag is to be hoisted at Lal Chowk in Srinagar or a rally is to be taken out, then it is contracted to BJP workers. It is the same with this movie theatre thing.

Both the state and Hurriyat leaders have cheated the Kashmiri people. This politics of optics continues even after the abrogation of Article 370. We need to understand that cinema or a movie theatre has nothing to do with the economy and wellbeing of Kashmir.

The economy of Kashmir depends a lot on the apple industry here. Trucks loaded with apples are regularly stopped on their way for five to six days in the name of security checks and other concerns. Only Kashmiris suffer from it. You cannot impose nationalism or patriotism. These values must be inculcated through people-friendly policies, by creating jobs, and by empathy.

Sorry to say that the unemployed youth here need jobs, not cine multiplexes. They need industries, as was promised by the government after the abrogation of Article 370. But we have seen all promises turning into jumlebaazi, as usual.

As told to Nityanand Gayen

Kharge Cong Chief post

Kharge Likely To File Nomination For Cong Chief Post Today

By LokMarg

Congress veteran Mallikarjun Kharge will join the contest for Congress president, according to sources who have said that the Leader of Opposition in the Raja Sabha is likely to file his nomination for the party’s top post today.

The contest for the post will then be likely to be between Kharge, Digvijaya Singh, and Shashi Tharoor, they said.
Nominations for the post of Congress president close at 3 pm today and results will be declared on October 19.

“Kharge is likely to file his nomination with one section of the Gandhi loyalists approaching him to contest the polls. However, the final decision will be taken shortly,” said the sources.

With the Gandhis not running for the top post this time around, the grand old party is all set to get a non-Gandhi president after over 25 years.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot was being seen as a frontrunner in the race before he opted to pull out after meeting with Sonia Gandhi on Thursday. Addressing media persons in the national capital after the meeting Gehlot said that he had apologised to her for the scenario emerging in the state triggered by his loyalists.

After announcing his decision to contest in the upcoming Congress presidential polls, veteran Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said that the Nehru-Gandhi family will remain their leader whosoever becomes the president of the party.

According to the sources, Manish Tewari, a face of the G-23 group of leaders (those seeking reforms in the party) is also mulling over filing the nomination for the top post.

G-23 leaders Thursday evening met at the residence of Anand Sharma. Former union minister Manish Tewari, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda were present at the meeting.

According to sources, the leaders discussed the whole situation emerging in the run-up to the Congress presidential polls. The leaders will meet again.

“Nobody has filed a nomination yet. Once it is done, there will be contemplation. The democratic process has begun. BS Hooda, Anand Sharma, Prithviraj Chavan and I sat for deliberation and discussed events,” Manish Tewari said while leaving Anand Sharma’s residence.

Asked whether G-23 will support candidates whose names have come for Congress presidential poll so far, Tewari said, “Days pass between collecting, filing and withdrawing nomination papers. The decision will be taken at that time. In English, it is called in politics ‘it is the preponderance of probabilities’. Let us see what happens tomorrow.”

The G-23 leaders had written to Congress interim chief Sonia Gandhi seeking organisational overhaul and internal elections at all levels.

“It is good that polls are being held in the party in a democratic way. We thanked Sonia Gandhi for the free-fair polls. Let us see who will file the nomination. We have heard a few names. We will support the best candidate in the field,” Prithviraj Chavan told ANI.

The remarks of the G23 leaders indicate that they do not possibly see Shashi Tharoor representing their voice in the election. (ANI)

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Digvijaya Drops Out Of Cong Presidential Race

By LokMarg

In yet another twist in the tale of the Congress president polls, Digvijaya Singh on Friday said he was dropping out of the race for the top post and announced his support for Mallikarjun Kharge, who is likely to be in the fray.

Today is the last day to file nominations for the polls.
Singh had said on Thursday that he would file his nominations today. However, after reports of Kharge also mulling contesting the party’s internal polls, he decided to drop out of the contest.

Singh made the announcement after he met Kharge this morning at the latter’s residence.

Speaking to reporters here, Singh said he “cannot think of contesting an election” against a senior leader like Kharge.

“Kharge is my leader and my senior. I went to his residence yesterday and asked if he is contesting. If he does, I will not fill up the form. He said he did not intend to contest. I came to know through the media that he is a candidate. I went to meet him this morning. I said if he is filing the nomination, I am with him. He is a senior and respected leader of the party and I cannot think of contesting an election against him,” he said.

“If Kharge had told me earlier, he would not have gone to collect the form. Now he intends to file his nomination, I will become his proposer,” Singh added.

He said he will not compromise on his “commitment to the Nehru-Gandhi family”.

“I have always worked for Congress all my life and will continue to do so. I do not compromise on three things. First, Dalit, tribal and poor. Second, I do not compromise with those involved in disrupting communal peace. I will not compromise on my commitment to the Nehru-Gandhi family, neither have I ever done it,” he said.

The quick turn of events is taking place on the last day of the filing of the nominations which closes at 3 pm today.

Singh is the second Congress leader to pull out of the race after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced he would not contest the elections following the political turmoil in his state.

Sources on Friday said that no leader from Congress’s “G-23” will file a nomination for the post of Congress president.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said he will be the proposer for Kharge.

Meanwhile, Jharkhand Congress leader KN Tripathi said he will file his nomination at 1 pm today.

“I’ll file my nomination at 1 pm today (for the Congress president post). Rahul Gandhi and party chief Sonia Gandhi have said they’re neither requesting anyone to contest nor declining anyone…we want to see what the rank and file of the party wants,” he said.

With the Gandhis not running for the top post, the grand old party is all set to get a non-Gandhi president after over 25 years.

The results of the party polls will be declared on October 19. (ANI)

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I Want World To Hear Stories Of Indian Women: Rani

Rani Turns Author, To Release Autobiography On Her B’day

By LokMarg

Actor Rani Mukerji is all set to come up with her memoir, which is scheduled to release on her birthday, March 21, 2023.

The memoir will be a deeply personal, disarmingly honest account of Rani’s inspiring journey.
Sharing more details about it, Rani said, “In the 25 years that I have so lovingly spent in the Indian film industry, I have never spoken my heart out about my life and my journey in cinema. As women in cinema, we are constantly judged and the book delves into my personal trials and tribulations and the impact it had on me, as I navigated the industry and my career. I haven’t had the time to pause, look back on my life, retrospectively and introspectively. This memoir was my way of reminiscing what I have been through right from my childhood. This one’s for my fans and for every single person who has given me boundless love and kept me grounded. I look forward to their reactions when this book releases on my birthday next year, making the day even more special.”

The book will be published by Harper Collins India.

Rani made her acting debut in 1996 with the Bengali film Biyer Phool when she was just 16. She later appeared in the Hindi film Raja Ki Aayegi Baraat in the same year, and since then she has acted in several films. ‘Ghulam’, ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai’, ‘Badal’, ‘Bichhoo’, ‘Saathiya’, ‘Yuva’, ‘Hum Tum’, ‘Bunty Aur Babli’, ‘Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna’ and ‘Mardani’ among several others.

She will now be seen in “Mrs. Chatterjee VS Norway’, which revolves around a journey of a mother’s battle against an entire country. (ANI)

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US: Senate Approves $12.3 BN Aid For Ukraine

By LokMarg

US Senate on Thursday approved emergency aid of USD 12.3 billion to Ukraine in its war against Russia. The measure will not only continue government spending for several weeks but will also help Ukraine in war to a greater extent.

According to the New York Times, the US Senate on Thursday approved a temporary spending package to keep the government funded past a Friday deadline.
Under the legislation, the measure would provide about USD 12.3 billion in emergency aid for Ukraine which includes USD 3 billion for supplies and arms for Ukraine’s military.

It also provides USD 4.5 billion for Kyiv to keep the country’s finances stable and keep the government running in order to provide basic services to the people of the war-torn country.

The aid for Ukraine comes straight after Congress approved approximately USD 54 billion in two previous packages.

On August 19, the US Defence Department announced that it would provide a new USD 775 million in additional military assistance to Ukraine, including HIMARS missiles, artillery, and mine-clearing systems.

Since 1993, the US has invested over USD 4.2 billion for the safe clearance of landmines and explosive weapons of war (ERW) as well as the securing and safe disposal of excess small arms and light weapons (SA/LW) and munitions in more than 100 countries and territories.

In total, the United States has now committed approximately USD 9.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the beginning of the Biden Administration. Since 2014, the United States has committed more than USD 11.8 billion in security assistance to Ukraine.

Notably, Russia launched a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, which the West has termed an unprovoked war. As a result of this, the Western countries have also imposed several crippling sanctions on Moscow.

Moreover, Russia will hold a signing ceremony on Friday to incorporate the annexed four occupied regions of Ukraine at Kremlin, Moscow’s President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

“Tomorrow in the Georgian Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace at 15:00 [1200 GMT] a signing ceremony will take place on the incorporation of the new territories into Russia,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Thursday, as quoted by Al Jazeera.

He further added that Putin will make a speech at this event.

The referendum by the Russian authorities on the annexation of occupied territories of Ukraine was largely seen as a “sham referendum” and has been widely criticised by various countries.(ANI)

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Allu Arjun Golden Temple

Allu Arjun Celebrates Wife’s Birthday At Golden Temple

By LokMarg

South actor Allu Arjun, on Thursday, visited the Golden Temple, Amritsar, on the occasion of his wife Sneha Reddy’s birthday.

Taking to Instagram, the ‘Pushpa’ actor shared a string of videos on his story in which he could be seen taking blessings at the Golden Temple.
The actor shared a picture of the Temple and captioned it as, “MAGICAL”.

The superstar along with his wife and kids had donned traditional attires, which made them look like a beautiful family.

Currently, the PAN star Allu Arjun is enjoying the success of ‘Pushpa’ and has already commenced the shooting of ‘Pushpa 2’. Allu Arjun starrer ‘Pushpa: The Rise’, directed by Sukumar fared well, at the box office and collected over Rs 300 crores at the box office worldwide.

Allu Arjun is known for his amazing masala entertainer films like ‘Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo’, which is currently being remade in Bollywood as ‘Shehzada’, ‘Sarrainodu’, ‘Arya’, ‘Arya 2’ and many more. Th actor enjoys a very big fan following.

Recently the actor was seen representing India globally as the grand Marshall in the India day parade in New York.

Meanwhile, on the work front, he will be next seen in Pushpa 2 along with Rashmika Mandanna and Fahadh Faasil.

The official release date of the film is still awaited. (ANI)

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IIFA Awards 2023

IIFA Awards 2023 To Be Held In Abu Dhabi

By LokMarg

After a successful award weekend in Abu Dhabi this year, The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) is going to be back with awards in 2023 – again in Abu Dhabi!

The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend & Awards, which brings together the very best of the Indian film industry, is back by popular demand in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, in February 2023 to win our hearts all over again! IIFA 2023 will be held in collaboration with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) and Miral.
The comeback of the 22nd edition of IIFA this year at Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, hosted by superstar Salman Khan, Riteish Deshmukh, and Maniesh Paul, featured electrifying performances by the finest talent from the Indian film fraternity, leaving us in awe with three memorable, star-studded days with packed venues filled by fans from all around the globe. More than 350 media attended the three-day awards weekend from 17 countries across the globe as more than 20,000 people thronged the arena.

IIFA 2023 will be a grand celebration of the best talent in Indian cinema, bringing together global dignitaries, international media, fans, and film enthusiasts worldwide. To present a greater opportunity for long-term impact in tourism, business & trade, and the film production business for the destination.

Noreen Khan, Vice President of IIFA said, “IIFA this year was an amazing experience thanks to the wonderful partners Miral & DCT. Coming back after two years we really worked hard to deliver the best of live entertainment again. The best part was the entire weekend delivered a positive experience to everyone who witnessed or experienced the event in any way. We have been inundated with unprecedented appreciation and comments of everyone truly has had a wonderful time this year in Abu Dhabi and so we are pleased and excited to bring it all back again but with much more magic to come next year”.

HE Saleh Mohamed Al-Geziry, Director General for Tourism at DCT Abu Dhabi, said: “We are honoured to once more welcome the IIFA Weekend & Awards to Etihad Arena. With the eyes of the world’s film industry upon us, we have an amazing opportunity to share with the world Abu Dhabi’s exciting nightlife, inspiring cultural experiences, and restorative escapes. The Awards in February can only enhance our reputation as a global centre for top-tier leisure, entertainment, and business events.” (ANI)

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