June 2023 - Page 48 of 52 - Lokmarg

Richa Chadha’s Cannes Outfit A Gift From Hubby

By LokMarg 3rd June 2023

A few days after the Cannes Film Festival ended, actor Richa Chadha posted photos of her Cannes red carpet look in a pink dress that husband and actor Ali Fazal gifted her.

Taking to Instagram, Richa talked about the dress she donned at the red carpet and said it was a simple, different, creatively exciting Cannes experience for her.

“I got DMs from some of you asking about my Cannes red carpet look, voila! Wore @zimmerman, @karishma.joolry for the premiere of Jessica Hausner’s ‘Club Zero’, a refreshingly neurotic film! My director Shuchi Talati offered sartorial advice, helped me out, then we walked to the Palais together! A simple, different, creatively exciting Cannes experience for me! Dress present from @alifazal9. PS : Did my own HMU in 30 minutes! There’s a pearl detail clip too, come on! Hehe. Thanks @anishagandhi3 for being, plz tell @rochelledsa to like me back,” she said in a post.

Richa looked gorgeous as she wore an ankle-length pale pink dress with white embroidered details from Zimmermann that matched a belt.

She paired it with white heels and matching earings. She opted for soft glam makeup and left her hair untied and straight.

Soon after she dropped the look, fans swamped the comment section with red hearts and fire emoticons.

A fan wrote, “Absolutely stunning as always.”

Another commented, “Finally someone elegant wearing what one can actually decipher! Looking lovely!.”

“We (me & my husband) saw you at the amazing Thai restaurant at Cannes, we were super shy and didn’t want to disturb you, @alifazal9 and others in your group, so we didn’t come up for intros/selfies (we got a thrashing for that from our family) but we waved at you guys and you guys waved back and smiled. it was such a heartwarming gesture, it made our day! Thank you so much for being so human in this crazy world!”, a social media user wrote.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Richa will be seen in Zee’s ‘Nurse Manjot’ and the third instalment of the hit comedy franchise, ‘Fukrey 3’. She will also be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus Netflix series ‘Heeramandi’. (ANI)

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First Look of Rakul Preet’s ‘I Love You’ Unveiled

By LokMarg 3rd June 2023

Actors Rakul Preet Singh and Pavail Gulati are all set to come up with a new project titled ‘I Love You’.

‘I Love You’ promises to be a gripping narrative with an adrenaline-pumping cinematic experience.

Presented by Jio Studios, an Athena Production produced by Jyoti Deshpande, Sunir Kheterpal, Gaurav Bose and directed by Nikhil Mahajan, ‘I Love You’ will be out on Jio Cinema.

The makers recently unveiled the first look of the romantic thriller.

In the teaser, Pavail is seen playing an obsessed lover who goes to extreme lengths, including stalking when in love with Rakul’s character.

Apart from ‘I Love You’, Rakul was recently seen in ‘Boo’, a horror-comedy.

The film is directed by AL Vijay. It revolves around Singh’s character Kiara whose Halloween celebration with her friends turns spooky when spine-chilling events start taking place, as they read a book on supernatural occurrences. (ANI)

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Urmila Urges People To Spread Love Not Hatred

By LokMarg 3rd June 2023

Actor Urmila Matondkar shared an inspirational post on her Instagram.

The ‘Rangeela’ actor took to Instagram and dropped a picture of herself. She wrote, “Dance like no one is watching but more importantly Love As Everyone Matters..at the end of it love will sail you through the challenges of life not hatred and grudges “

Urmila looked gorgeous as she wore an off-shoulder black dress. She paired it with matching heels. The ‘Judaai’ actor opted for soft makeup look and left her curly hair untied.

The actor’s fans chimed in the comment section as soon as the picture was uploaded.

A fan wrote, “My favourite.”

Another commented, “Urmila U R Looking Beautiful.”

“Wonderful weekend vibes. wwwoow….supb”, a social media user wrote.

Urmila married Mohsin Akhtar Mir, a Kashmir-based businessman in 2016 in a low-key ceremony.

Urmila entered the film industry as a child artist. She first appeared in BR Chopra’s ‘Karm’, Marathi film ‘Zaakol’ and Shekhar Kapur’s ‘Masoom’. And years later, as an adult, she established her name as a Rangeela actress in Bollywood. Judaai, Satya and Jungle are some of her memorable films.

Like the other 90s actresses, Urmila is set to debut on the OTT platform. Helmed by Saurabh Varma, the series ‘Tiwari’ is said to be a thriller, based on an emotional mother-daughter story. In the poster, Urmila could be seen with a rustic look, with injury marks on her body and white cloth tied to her hand. The series is now in pre-production. (ANI)

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Odisha: Modi Chairs High-Level Meet, To Visit Accident Site Today

By LokMarg 3rd June 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday chaired a high-level meeting to take stock of the situation in Odisha where at least 238 people were killed in an accident involving three trains.

The Prime Minister will visit the accident site in Balasore and also the Cuttack hospital where the injured are being treated, according to sources.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present at the meeting called by the Prime Minister.

As per the latest estimates by the South Eastern Railway, the death toll in the train accident involving two express trains — Bengaluru-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express — and a goods train in Balasore was 238.

Around 650 injured passengers have been taken to hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro, the South Eastern Railway said.

According to the preliminary report by the State Emergency Operation Center, around 900 people are injured.

Seven National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Teams, five Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) Units and 24 Fire Services and Emergency Units engaged in rescue operations.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed Mi-17 helicopters for the evacuation of the deceased and injured.

According to the Eastern Command, IAF is coordinating the rescue efforts with the civil administration and Indian Railways.

Prime Minister Modi had on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.

According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the ex-gratia amount will be allotted from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of the dead.

According to Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the accident took place around 7 pm on Friday.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reached the spot and supervised the rescue operation. He has ordered a detailed high-level inquiry on the incident.

The rail safety commissioner will also conduct an independent inquiry, Vaishnaw said on Saturday. (ANI)

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Odisha Train Accident: Death Toll Rises To 238

By LokMarg 3rd June 2023

The death toll in the Odisha train accident involving two express trains — Bengaluru-Howrah Express and Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express — and a goods train in Balasore has risen to 238, South Eastern Railway said on Saturday.

“As per the information received till now, there are 238 casualties. Around 650 injured passengers have been taken to the Hospitals of Gopalpur, Khantapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Soro,” the South Eastern Railway said.
The 12864 Sir M Visvesvaraya (Bengaluru)-Howrah Express Superfast Express was travelling towards Howrah with 1000 passengers. A special train carrying 200 stranded passengers is now headed from Balasore to Howrah.

“Water, tea and food packets are being provided to passengers at Kharagpur station. Food packets will also be provided in Howrah after arrival of the train,” South Eastern Railway said.

Several coaches of the 12864 Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, on the way to Howrah, derailed and fell on adjacent tracks. The 12841 Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express coming from the opposite directin on the parallel track rammed into the derailed coaches. Some 12 Coromandel Express coaches derail and hit the stationary goods train on the third track.

According to Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the accident took place around 7 pm on Friday.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reached the spot and supervised the rescue operation

“A detailed high-level inquiry will be conducted and the rail safety commissioner will also do an independent inquiry,” Vaishnaw said on Saturday.

He added, “Our focus is on rescue and relief operations. Restoration will begin after clearance from the district administration”. (ANI)

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In His First Oval Office Address, Biden Boasts Of Debt-Ceiling Win

By LokMarg 3rd June 2023

US President Joe Biden’s first speech from the Oval Office focused on the bipartisan approval of the country’s debt-ceiling bill, during which he declared a “crisis averted” from his desk in the White House, reported Al Jazeera.

Biden said on Friday, “When I ran for President, I was told the days of bipartisanship were over, and that Democrats and Republicans can no longer work together,” adding, “But I refused to believe that.”
The address served as a victory lap for Democratic Joe Biden, who collaborated with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, to forge the debt-ceiling bill last month.

The Senate’s approval of the Bill on Thursday practically guarantees that the US will not default on its debt. The US Treasury had set a deadline of June 5 beyond which the federal government would most certainly have run out of money to pay its debts. The country was swiftly approaching that date.

The House of Representatives had earlier approved the measure on Wednesday by a vote of 314 to 117.

Biden explains in his address, “Passing this budget agreement was critical. The stakes could not have been higher. If we failed to reach an agreement on the budget, there were extreme voices threatening to take America – for the first time in our 247-year-history – into default on our national debt. Nothing, nothing would have been more irresponsible. Nothing would have been more catastrophic,” according to Al Jazeera.

Experts projected that if the US reached its USD 31.4 trillion debt ceiling, which represents the upper limit of the federal government’s borrowing authority, the economic repercussions may lead to a recession.

Businesses and people who rely on government funding may have seen their payments halted, and the US would have likely seen a decline in its credit rating and a spike in borrowing rates. According to the White House, 8 million Americans may have lost their employment as a result of a default.

The Senate’s 63-36 vote on Thursday, however, was not without controversy. Far-right Republicans criticised the bill for failing to provide a substantial boost to defence budgets and for failing to impose sharp enough cuts on discretionary government spending.

Democrats lamented the increased work requirements for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programme (SNAP), as well as the expenditure limitations that are expected to damage social safety net projects, reported Al Jazeera.

Addressing such criticisms on Friday, Biden said, “No one got everything they wanted. But the American people got what they needed. We averted an economic crisis and economic collapse.”

McCarthy referred to the Senate’s approval of the debt-ceiling legislation as a “vote for the largest savings in American history.” It included clauses to recoup monies from the Internal Revenue Service, which is responsible for collecting taxes in the US, as well as leftover COVID relief funds.

The debt ceiling will be suspended by the 99-page law through 2025, allowing the government to spend as much as is required to meet its expenses up to that point.

The law will be signed by Biden on Saturday, two days before the deadline of June 5, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)

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Survivor Recalls Chilling Moments Before Coromandel Express Jumped Rails

By LokMarg 3rd June 2023

A passenger, who was on board the Coromandel Express that was involved in a horrific accident in Odisha’s Balasore, relived chilling moments from the derailment on Friday.

Speaking to ANI about the incident, the survivor said the passengers seated in the S5 coach of the Coromandel Express were not significantly impacted by the derailment.
He also added that he was in a group of painters travelling from Kolkata and that they were en route to Chennai when several coaches of the express train jumped rails.

“We were in the S5 bogie where the passengers mostly escaped with minor injuries. We are painters by profession and were on our way to Chennai,” the survivor said.

Recalling the nerveless minutes leading up to the derailment of coaches, the survivor told ANI that the incident had occurred at 6.50 pm on Friday, shortly after when they heard a loud noise from the collision of the express passenger train with a goods carriage.

He added that they had informed their families about the incident, assuring them of their safety.

“We are heading home now and have informed our families that we are fine,” the survivor told ANI. (ANI)

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Centre Announces ₹2L Ex-Gratia For Orissa Train Victims

By LokMarg 2nd June 2023

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased in the train derailment in Odisha’s Balasore.

According to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office, the ex-gratia amount will be allotted from Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) to the next of kin of the dead.

The PMO also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50,000 each for the injured in the horrific accident.

Earlier, on Friday, PM Modi expressed grief over the incident in which several coaches of two passenger trains derailed after colliding with a goods train.

Taking stock of the situation in Balasore, Prime Minister Modi informed that rescue operations were underway at the site of the accident and all possible assistance was being provided to the injured.

After the horrific collision and the subsequent derailment of coaches in Odisha’s Balasore district, in which several passengers are feared dead and over 132 injured, an additional rescue team from Odisha Fire and Emergency Service, comprising 26 members with advance rescue equipment from Odisha Fire and Disaster Response Academy in Bhubaneswar rushed to the spot to mobilise emergency rescue measures, the Odisha government stated in a release.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief over the accident.

Multiple coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Bahanaga station in Odisha’s Balasore after colliding with a goods train.

“There are casualties but the toll is yet to be determined. The derailment involved three trains, two of which were passenger trains and another a goods train,” Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena said.

The injured were shifted to Soro CHC, Gopalpur CHC, and Khantapada PHC, the chief secretary informed further.

According to Railway spokesperson Amitabh Sharma, the accident took place around 7 pm on Friday.

“At around 7 pm, 10-12 coaches of the Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express derailed near Baleswar and fell on the opposite track. After some time, another train from Yeswanthpur to Howrah rammed into the derailed coaches, resulting in the derailment of 3-4 of its coaches,” Sharma told ANI.

A team of responders from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), numbering 22 members, reached the accident spot from Balasore Railway Station. Another team from Centralised Traffic Control (CTC), comprising 32 members, had set off for the spot half an hour before, said officials.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik directed the state minister Pramila Mallik and the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) to reach the accident spot immediately. The minister and SRC left for the scene almost immediately.

The state chief secretary added that a large number of buses were dispatched to the accident spot in Balasore to help in the relief and rescue operations.

“Nearly 50 ambulances were also rushed to the spot but the number of injured appear to be far too many,” he said. (ANI)

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Forced Conversions, Marriages Common In Pakistan: Report

By LokMarg 2nd June 2023

Pakistan is already struggling with the adverse political and economic situation and continues to bear the brunt of forced marriages and conversions, Human Rights Without Frontiers reported.

Human Rights Without Frontiers is a Europe-based organization that tracks incidents worldwide where people are imprisoned for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief.
According to the data compiled by one of Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s (CSW) local partners in Pakistan, the Centre for Social Justice, 202 incidents were recorded and documented between 2021 and 2022. Almost all of them took place within the Sindh and Punjab provinces.

Out of 202 cases, 120 Hindu women and girls, 80 Christians and 2 Sikhs. The figures show that girls from “low” caste Hindu communities are the most at-risk group. And among those figures, only 20 were confirmed to be over 18 years old and 133 were under 18 (including 55 under 14 years old). In the remaining 49 cases, the age was unknown or unconfirmed.

In the data, CSW said that a Hindu woman named Pooja Kumari was 18-years-old, when on March 21, 2022, three men made intrusion into her home, near the Chhuahra Mandi area of Sukkur in Sindh. One of the men is said to have asked Kumari to marry him but when she refused, he and the others attempted to abduct her. As she resisted, they shot her, according to Human Rights Without Frontiers.

Earlier, on October 26, 2022, six UN Special Rapporteurs, including the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief, and the Working Group on the discrimination against women and girls released a common statement from which Jonathan de Leyser excluded qualifying words such as “allegedly” and “reportedly” when he quoted a part of it “because these are all facts that CSW could confirm.”

“These women and girls are then (reportedly) forced by their abductors to appear before courts and give testimony and/or sign official documents which attest to their being of age and having married and converted to Islam of their own free will. This coercion (reportedly) takes place under the threat of violence against them or their families. Perpetrators of these offences (are alleged to) enjoy a significant degree of impunity, enabled in part by the actions of the security forces and the justice system,” Jonathan de Leyser said. (ANI)

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Food Inflation Rate In Pakistan Reaches Record High In May

By LokMarg 2nd June 2023

The inflation rate soared to a new all-time high in Pakistan to 38 per cent in May, making it the highest in the region, according to The News International.

It is pertinent to mention that this record is the remarkable level that has been witnessed n the nation since the commencement of comparable records in 1957.
The inflationary surge, which escalated from the previous month’s rate of 36.4 per cent, can largely be attributed to an unprecedented increase in food prices.

Last year, in May, the inflation was 13.76 per cent. The official monthly inflation bulletin said that there was a 1.6 per cent increase in the consumer price index (CPI) compared to the previous month.

The cash-strapped nation holds the unfortunate distinction of having the highest inflationary pressure in Asia. Earlier, this distinction belonged to Sri Lanka but now Pakistan is ahead of this.

On one hand, where Pakistani inflation is rising, Sri Lanka has experienced a consistent decline in inflation over the past eight months. In May, it recorded an inflation rate of 25.2 per cent, a significant decrease from the 35.3 per cent rate observed in April. Owing to taming inflation, this South Asian country cut its policy rate by 250 basis points to 14 per cent, reported The News International.

Surging inflation poses risks to the economy and individuals, reducing purchasing power, undermining consumer confidence, and acting as an “invisible tax” on cash holders, eroding the value of money.

The sharp increase in prices has sparked concern among economists regarding its potential impact on the welfare of Pakistani citizens and the overall economic stability of the nation and further create political unrest.

Pakistan’s ongoing political and economic instability, combined with the devaluation of the rupee against global currencies, is a significant factor contributing to the rising prices. The increased expenses of imported goods, specifically petroleum products, have led to imported inflation. Amidst months of economic turmoil, the country faces a pressing balance of payments crisis and a looming deadline to meet IMF requirements before the conclusion of its support program. Failure to satisfy these conditions raises the risk of a sovereign default.

In May 2023, core inflation in Pakistan, which excludes food and energy components, hit its highest level since 2010, rising from 19.5 per cent in April to 20 per cent. This is the indicator sensitizing the State Bank on whether to increase the discount rate. The current policy rate is 21 per cent.

The inflation bulletin also pinpoints that inflation was considerably higher in rural Pakistan than in urban centres, The News International reported.

The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) or producer price also increased by 32.8 per cent in May 2023, against the same level in April 2023, and 29.6 per cent in May 2022.

Since April 2022, inflation has shown a continuous upward trend. (ANI)

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