India's Sargam Koushal has become only the second Indian woman to win the coveted Mrs World title after beating 63 other contestants on Saturday night.
“The long wait is over, it’s after 21 years we have the crown back,” the beauty queen from Jammu and Kashmir posted soon after her crowning at a glamorous event in Las Vegas.
Indian actress and model Aditi Govitrikar first won the competition in 2001. The global pageant, which “celebrates the uniqueness of married women”, has been held since 1984.
Govitrikar, who served as a judge for the Mrs India contest, also congratulated Koushal on her win.
“So happy the crown is finally back and that I was part of the journey,” Govitrikar posted on Instagram.
Who is Sargam Koushal?
A former teacher, Koushal, 32, is originally from Jammu and Kashmir but lives in Mumbai with her husband Aditya Manohar Sharma, an Indian naval officer. The couple started dating in 2015 before marrying in 2018, and it was only after marriage that Koushal discovered modelling.
She participated in the Mrs India contest in June where she beat 50 other hopefuls to the title, earning her a spot at the Mrs World 2022 pageant.
Following her Mrs India win, Koushal thanked her husband, crediting him as “the man who made this moment possible”.
“You’ve not only given me wings, but been the wind under them. You’ve transformed this small town girl and turned her into a star. You give me the confidence to achieve all that is out there. You’ve always encouraged me to put my dreams first and like a wallflower, you just watch — watch me shine,” she posted on Instagram.
“I’ve never had to worry about having kids, just because time is running out since you understand that I have a vision which needs time and focus. You support me and make me a better human being, and for that I’m grateful. No one else could have done it better than you. This crown may be mine, but you’re my king.”
Koushal also said one of her main motivations was her father.
“The core motive, the cause of it all, is this man — my father. Since I was a little girl, he always told me, 'You're different, I see it in your eyes. You're meant for greater things in life. Things that people wish to achieve, but don't have the courage to. You have that courage in your heart and the fire in your belly even as a little girl',” she wrote.
A call for peace at Mrs World
At the Mrs World pageant in Las Vegas, Koushal made sure she represented the beauty of her country as well as that of her birthplace Jammu and Kashmir. Wearing a traditional Kashmiri dress by the label Wazir C, Koushal's look was completed by a striking white veil with the words “Let Peace Prevail” embroidered at the back, a nod to her birthplace's turbulent history and current political climate.
For her national costume, which won the award for the most exotic costume, Koushal wore a dazzling outfit inspired by the peacock, the national bird of India, by Indonesian artist and designer Eggie Jasmin.
“Peacock symbolises the beauty and exuberance of the country. Peacock is also a combination of royalty, strength and elegance that every Indian woman possesses,” reads Koushal's description of the dress.
And for the final evening gown round, in which she would go on to clinch the Mrs World 2022 crown, Koushal chose an embellished pink slit dress, designed by Bhawna Rao.
“I'm so excited. Love you India, love you the world,” said the beauty queen, after receiving the crown.
Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now
There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:
1. Rising US interest rates
The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.
Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”
At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.
2. Stronger dollar
High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.”
3. Global trade war
Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”
4. Eurozone uncertainty
Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.
Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”
The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”
Temple numbers
Expected completion: 2022
Height: 24 meters
Ground floor banquet hall: 370 square metres to accommodate about 750 people
Ground floor multipurpose hall: 92 square metres for up to 200 people
First floor main Prayer Hall: 465 square metres to hold 1,500 people at a time
First floor terrace areas: 2,30 square metres
Temple will be spread over 6,900 square metres
Structure includes two basements, ground and first floor
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
Results
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Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
SPECS
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Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
