Veteran director J Om Prakash, Hrithik Roshan's grandfather, dies at 93
Mumbai: Veteran director and actor Hrithik Roshan's grandfather, J Om Prakash, passed away on Wednesday. He was 93. The news of his death was shared by actor Deepak Parashar, who said that Prakash breathed his last in the morning.
"My dearest uncle Mr J Om Prakash passed away about an hour ago. So saddened as he joins his friend, my Mamaji Mr Mohan Kumar in heaven!
"Their contributions to Indian cinema is a gift they left behind for us! Took this pic few months ago when went to see him! Om Shanti!" Parashar tweeted. A spokesperson for Hrithik said the veteran director's last rites were performed at a crematorium next to Pawan Hans, Vile Parle.
Prakash is best known for his collaboration with two of Bollywood biggest superstars -- the late Rajesh Khanna and Jeetendra. He had a strong penchant for beginning his film titles with the letter 'A'.
With Khanna, he made films such as "Aap Ki Kasam" (1974) and "Aakhir Kyon?" (1985).
His collaboration with Jeetendra yielded five big hits -- "Apnapan" (1977), "Aasha" (1980), "Apna Bana Lo" (1982), "Arpan" (1983) and "Aadmi Khilona Hai" (1993).
Prakash's last film as director was 2001's "Afsana Dilwalon Ka", starring Rahul Roy in the lead.
On Twitter, Amitabh Bachchan condoled his death, saying, "J Om Prakash ji Producer Director of eminence, passed away this morning... A kind gentle affable being ... my neighbor, Hrithik's grandfather... sad! Prayers for his soul..."
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EU summit will focus on Iran war, loan to Ukraine blocked by Hungary
Brussels (AP): European Union leaders are holding a summit in Brussels on Thursday for talks on the Iran war, energy prices, migration and an enormous loan for war-ravaged Ukraine being held up by Hungary.
Many of those leaders have deflected entreaties by US President Donald Trump to send military assets to secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the global flow of oil, gas and fertiliser.
Rising energy prices because of the war and fears in Europe of a new refugee crisis have pushed leaders to make the Middle East one of the top priorities at the summit.
The European Commission, the EU's executive branch, has floated the idea of a “toolbox” of measures to lower energy prices for leaders to discuss because no single policy will work across the myriad markets in the 27-nation bloc to blunt economic shocks from the war, according to a senior European diplomat who wasn't authorised to be publicly named so spoke on condition of anonymity.
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The summit will also focus on a long-brewing standoff between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and most other EU nations.
The last EU summit was held in December at a Belgian castle, where the leaders including Orban agreed to a 90 billion-euro (USD 104 billion) loan for Ukraine for help overcoming a budget shortfall in the country as it grapples with a grinding war with Russia.
But a month later, Orban backtracked after the Druzhba oil pipeline was disabled in January after what Ukrainian officials said was a Russian drone attack.
The pro-Russia leader, who has held office in Hungary since 2010, is running an aggressive media campaign villainising both Brussels and Kyiv as he seeks reelection next month.
“If there is no oil, there is no money,” Orban said in a social media post on Tuesday.
To get Ukraine the much-needed loan, EU leaders and diplomats will lobby Orban and Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, whose government has also taken pro-Russia stances.
On Tuesday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen offered for the EU to pay to repair the Druzhba pipeline and the development of alternative fuel lines for Hungary and Slovakia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that any obstruction to the loan is “absolutely unfair” and that there is “no alternative” for the embattled nation than those funds as it faces a severe budget crisis because of the war, which began on February 24, 2022.
“There may be alternatives in terms of financing mechanisms, but there is simply no alternative to strengthening our army,” Zelenksyy said on Wednesday.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz told lawmakers in Berlin on Wednesday that the EU must swiftly reach an agreement on the 20th package of sanctions against Russia and the loan.
He said that he would “advocate for that emphatically” in Brussels and that “we must not take into consideration a single country in the European Union that is currently setting up this blockade in Europe now for domestic political reasons and because of an election campaign that is being conducted there.”
Merz said, in urging for more sanctions, that “the needs of the moment call for us to increase the pressure on Moscow together – the US and the European partners together."
