Month: July 2024

Ace India shooter Manu Bhaker finished third in the qualification round of Women’s 10 Metre Air Pistol to qualify for the final at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Saturday.

While Rhythm Sangwan failed to make her place in the final after finishing in 15th place.

Manu Bhaker displayed a stunning performance in the qualification round. In the first two series, Manu ended with 97 points. In the third series, the 22-year-old bagged 98 points. In the final three series, she sealed 96 points to finish in third place with a total of 580-27x.

Only the top eight shooters have qualified for the final round. Hungary’s Veronika Major secured the top spot with 582-22x points and South Korea’s Ye Jim Oh secured the second place with 582-20x.

On the other hand, Manu’s teammate, Rhythm ended up in the 15th spot with a total of 573-14x points and failed to make it into the qualification round.

Earlier in the day, Indian shooters Sarabjot Singh and Arjun Cheema failed to make it to the final round of the men’s 10 m air pistol competition.

Cheema (18th spot with 574-17x points) and Sarabjot (9th spot with 577-16x points) failed to make it to the final eight who qualified for the medal round.

In the qualification round for the 10 m air pistol men’s competition, players can take 60 shots within a time frame of 75 minutes. Only eight players out of 33 could qualify for the medal round set to take place on Sunday.

India’s shooting campaign in the Paris 2024 Olympics started with disappointment as two Indian teams in action during the qualification round in the 10 m air rifle mixed team events failed to make it to the medal matches on Saturday.

Two Indian pairs, Elavenil Valarivan and Sandeep Singh and Arjun Babuta and Ramita Jindal, took part in the 10 m air rifle mixed teams qualifiers. Only four teams out of 28 had the privilege of qualifying further for the knockout stages, i.e., a gold medal match for the top two teams and a bronze medal match for teams ranked third and fourth. India could not make it to the final four.

Ramita and Arjun finished in sixth place with a total of 628.7 points after three series, out of which Ramita managed 314.5 and Arjun got 314.2 points. They fell just one point short of Germany, who finished at number four with 629.7.

On the other hand, the pair of Elavenil and Sandeep finished in 12th place with 626.3 points, with Elavenil scoring 312.6 points and Sandeep got 313.7 points.

The 10 m air pistol qualification for women’s shooters, including India’s Manu Bhaker and Rhythm Sangwan will take place from 4 pm. (ANI)

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Actor Akshay Kumar and his wife Twinkle Khanna, who are currently holidaying in Africa, shared a fun video of themselves dancing with the Omahe tribals.

Taking to her Instagram account on Friday, Twinkle shared the video where the pair can be seen dancing enthusiastically with the Omahe tribals.

They posted the video on social media, giving fans a glimpse of their holiday adventures.

Twinkle, who is also an author, captioned the video, “Moving our feet and massaging our souls. Omahe, the local group that we danced with, used marvelous instruments made of feathers, skin, and sisal, and we performed our own version of a traditional dance called Ritunga. Who do you think danced better, Mr K or I? When was the last time you danced your heart out? Let me know in the comments below.

Meanwhile, the first peppy track ‘Hauli Hauli’ from Akshay’s upcoming film ‘Khel Khel Mein’ was released on Thursday.

The Punjabi dance number features Akshay Kumar, Ammy Virk, Taapsee Pannu, Vaani Kapoor, Aditya Seal, Pragya Jaiswal, and Fardeen Khan.

In the song, Fardeen Khan and Akshay even recreated their iconic Heyy Babyy step.

All decked up in traditional outfits, groove to the beats of party anthem. The song is sung by Guru Randhawa, Yo Yo Honey Singh and Neha Kakkar.

Produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Vipul D Shah, Ashwin Varde, Rajesh Bahl, Shashikant Sinha and Ajay Rai, Khel Khel Mein “aims to redefine the comedy-drama genre, offering a rollercoaster ride of emotions that transcends the ordinary. Save the date for this cinematic delight, poised to leave audiences in splits and craving for more”, as per the statement.

Earlier this year, the makers shared a BTS photo from the sets along with the announcement of the release date, “This Independence Day, step into a mad world of laughter, drama and loads of fun! Mark your calendars for August 15, 2024 when Khel Khel Mein hits the theatres.”

‘Khel Khel Mein’ is directed by Mudassar Aziz. (ANI)

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Veteran actor Amrish Puri was inarguably one of the finest actors in the Indian film industry. His grandson, Vardhan Puri, is following in his grandfather’s footsteps and making his mark as an actor. Vardhan shared a special bond with his grandfather, candidly spoke about it, and recalled his fond memories with him.

In a conversation with ANI, he remembered the lessons he learned from him as an actor and said, “My grandfather always told me that there’s no such thing as talent. ‘You need to work very hard as an actor. You need to be disciplined and punctual. And as an actor, you need to understand that you can’t say that acting is going to be a big part of my life. No, acting has to become your entire life. You have to give yourself to your art. You have to give yourself to your audience. Now you belong to them. You have dedicated your life to them.'”

He continued, “So, he was so serious about his craft. And he is always going to be my best friend. He is my God. He was a man who inspired me to be a good human being before being a good actor because I don’t think there was a human being like him.”

Vardhan went down memory lane and recalled some cherished memories with his late grandfather that are always going to stay with him.

Puri became one of the most renowned actors in Bollywood. One can’t forget his role as Baldev Singh, a strict father, in ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’.

Vardhan remembered how director Aditya Chopra visited his house and narrated the script of the 1995 film ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol.

“I have this memory of the narration of ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’ that happened at my house. I had no idea who Adi Chopra sir was. Adi Chopra sir, of course, later became my mentor, and he trained me in film direction and film writing. I worked with his company for a very long time. But of course, I didn’t know who he was at that time, and I was sitting on my grandfather’s lap while Adi sir was narrating the story. I remember how I felt at that moment. And even though I was so tiny, I don’t know how I have memories of this, but I remember the narration getting over, and my grandfather was just awestruck because Adi sir was narrating without a script. He just knew every beat of the film.”

“And my grandfather said that I will definitely do this film because I can see your conviction. And Adi sir was so taken aback. And he said that you know, Amrish ji, if you didn’t say yes to the film, I would not make this movie. So that is one very strong memory I have when it comes to cinema,” he added.

Vardhan shared that he had a lot of fun with his late grandfather. They both loved watching movies and enjoying food together.

As he mentioned, “We both enjoyed eating a lot of good food together and watching a lot of great cinema together. We watched ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ maybe 500 times together. We watched Tom and Jerry and all Chaplin movies together. So, yes, many sweet memories will always stay with me forever.”

Vardhan is currently seen in ‘Bloody Ishq’, also starring Avika Gor. The film is directed by Vikram Bhatt and produced by Mahesh Bhatt. The actor spoke about the collaboration with the acclaimed filmmakers and how it happened.

He shared, “Mahesh Bhatt sahab called me in 2015 when I was still an assistant director, and he just told me that I’ve been hearing about you, and I’m very curious to meet you. Will you come and meet me? I was an assistant director, and I don’t know how he assumed that I wanted to act. But it was true. And he very soon approached me with a film that didn’t happen. That film never got made. Then he approached me with another film. And it kept happening, kept happening. Every time it didn’t happen, it broke my heart. And I said, why isn’t this happening? And a year had passed. One day, I got his call, and he said that Vikram Bhatt would call me as he was making a film.”

“I listened to the story. And in the middle of the narration, I said, sir, I’m doing this. I met Vikram, sir. And then Bhatt sir met me there. And he said, do this film. I said, yes. So then our journey started. And our relationship continued. And on set, Vikram sir used to direct me, and Bhatt sir used to be there. He was our mentor in the film. He guided us. He stimulated us. He gave us a lot in this film. And living with Vikram sir and Bhatt sir, living with their magic, it’s been a once-in-a-lifetime kind of experience,” he added.

Vardhan is excited about his upcoming projects. He has completed shooting for ‘Nautanki’ and is busy with another untitled project.

He also spoke about his future project and said, “At the moment, I’m shooting for an untitled film, which is an intense love story. And I’m not allowed to talk too much about it. But I’m here in England shooting for the movie.”

The film was released on Disney+ Hotstar. (ANI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed deep grief over the demise of former member of Parliament Thiru Master Mathan.

PM Modi praised Thiru Master Mathan for his service to society and the downtrodden and for his efforts to strengthen the party in Tamil Nadu.

Former BJP MP M Master Mathan from Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu, passed away on Friday night due to age-related issues at 91 years of age.

The Prime Minister posted on X; “Pained by the passing away of former MP, Thiru Master Mathan Ji. He will be remembered for his efforts to serve society and work for the downtrodden. He also played a commendable role in strengthening our Party in Tamil Nadu. Condolences to his family and supporters. Om Shanti.”

Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Saturday also condoled the demise of former MP, saying “Deeply saddened to learn about the passing of former BJP MP Thiru Master Mathan.”

Nadda added that Mathan’s contributions to strengthening the party’s roots and ideology in Tamil Nadu will always be remembered, nd stated that his passing is an irreparable loss to the party.

“Deeply saddened to learn about the passing of former BJP MP Thiru Master Mathan Ji. He dedicated his life to the betterment of society and the upliftment of the underprivileged. His contributions to strengthening the party’s roots and ideology in Tamil Nadu will always be remembered. His demise is an irreparable loss to the party. My deepest condolences go out to his family and supporters,” Nadda said in a post on X.

Top companies will provide internships to one crore youth over the next five years, with an internship allowance of Rs. 5,000 per month. The package will facilitate employment, skilling and other opportunities for 4.1 crore youth over a 5-year period.”

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief over the passing away of the former BJP MP from Tamil Nadu.

“Deeply saddened by the passing away of former BJP MP from Tamil Nadu, Master Mathan avl Ji. A towering leader from the Baduga community, Mathan Ji played a crucial role in expanding the party’s footprint in the state. My condolences to his friends, family and followers,” Shah said in a post on X. (ANI)

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Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has issued directions to the district magistrates of the State to remain in alert mode while coordinating with relief and rescue teams following the rain situation in the State.

According to an official release from the Chief Minister’s office, “CM Dhami has said that he is in constant touch with the concerned officials of the areas affected by waterlogging due to heavy rains in the state.”

The Chief Minister has directed all the district magistrates of the state to remain in alert mode at all times while coordinating with SDRF, NDRF and other rescue teams, it said.

As per the release, the Chief Minister has appealed to the people of the state to leave their homes only when there is essential work after the Meteorological Department issued an alert of heavy rain at many places across the state.

He said that the safety of the people of the state and the travellers coming to the state is a top priority.

Meanwhile, Disaster Management Authority Joint CEO Mohammad Obaidulla Ansari, while talking exclusively to ANI, said that today there is an orange alert for Dehradun and Bageshwar, while there is a yellow alert for other districts.

After the weather department’s alert, instructions have been given to all the districts in the disaster control room to be cautious.

He said that there is no information about a cloudburst anywhere. A total of 265 roads have been blocked, out of which 60 have been opened so far and efforts are being made to open the remaining roads.

Along with this, the water level of the rivers is also rising, and in such a situation, warnings are being issued continuously.

Earlier in the day, rescue personnel pulled out the body of a woman who got burried under the debris of a building that was hit by a landslide in Ghansali, Uttarakhand, in the early hours of today.

The woman and her daughter got trapped under debris from their home that collapsed in the landslide triggered by heavy rain in village Toli.

The disaster control room was notified at around 3 am today that the two were buried under the debris of a building at around 1:30 am due to a landslide.

The SDRF team, under the leadership of Chief Constable Kuldeep Singh from Post Ghansali, reached the spot and started the rescue work.

“During an intensive search by SDRF and District Police, the body of a woman, Sarita Devi, buried in the debris has been recovered,” SDRF stated.

A search operation is underway for her daughter.

Heavy rains in parts of Uttarakhand over the past few days have triggered landslides in the hills, with the highway to Badrinath blocked at many points by rubble on several occasions. (ANI)

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Making India a developed country by 2047 is ambition of every Indian, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday and noted that states can play an active role in achieving this aim as they are directly connected with people.

The Prime Minister made the remarks at the Ninth Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog.

“Viksit Bharat @ 2047 is ambition of every Indian. States can play an active role to achieve this aim as they are directly connected with the people,” Prime Minister said, according to a post on X by the NITI Aayog.

The meeting is being held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre and attended by Chief Ministers, Lieutenant Governors, Union Ministers, and members of the NITI Aayog.

The meeting aims to foster participative governance and collaboration between the Centre and state governments, enhancing the quality of life for both rural and urban populations by strengthening the delivery mechanisms of government interventions.

Several state governments led by non-BJP parties had declared their intention to boycott the meeting.

Chief Ministers from three Congress-governed states–Siddaramaiah of Karnataka, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of Himachal Pradesh, and Revanth Reddy of Telangana– cited alleged bias against their states in the recently presented Union Budget as the reason for not attending.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK leader MK Stalin, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and the Aam Aadmi Party-led governments of Punjab and Delhi had also announced their decision to not attend the meeting.

India is on track to become the world’s third-largest economy and is poised to be a USD 30 trillion economy by 2047. (ANI)

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In a major development for North Gujarat, the Dharoi Dam area is set to be transformed into a world-class sustainable tourism destination.

The state government has launched several projects to develop Dharoi Dam as a central tourism hub, linking prominent sites like Vadnagar, Taranga, Ambaji, and Rani Ki Vav, all within a 90 km radius.

The entire project will be executed in three phases, with an estimated cost of Rs 1100 crore.

The development plan includes an Adventure Water Sports Arena, a River Edge Development Leisure Show Infrastructure with an Amphitheatre, various parks such as Panchatatva Park and Naad Brahm Upavan, and facilities like a Visitor Centre and Water Experience Park.

District Development Officer of Mehsana, Hasrat Jasmine, said, “The long-term vision is to develop North Gujarat into a major tourism circuit, with Dharoi as the central point. Surrounding pilgrimage sites like Ambaji, Hatkeshwar Temple, and Vadnagar will serve as peripheral points. This project is expected to generate significant revenue and establish the area as a cultural centre.”

The project is expected to reach its final stage within two years, with 80 per cent of land acquisition already complete. A Public-Private partnership (PPP) model is being considered to expedite the development.

Tourists are already excited about the new facilities, comparing them to the Statue of Unity.

Tejinderpal Singh, a tourist from Gandhinagar, said, “It is being made even bigger than the Statue of Unity. The facilities here are going to be world-class, including seaplanes. With nearby attractions like Ambaji and Khedbrahma, tourists will flock here.”

Local villagers are also optimistic about the positive impact.

Nareshbhai, the village head of Dharoi, said, “The government’s project will put our village on the map. It’s a big project that will provide jobs and become a source of livelihood for our people. It will be a great tourist site.”

With the development of spiritual, adventure, and eco-tourism, the Dharoi Dam area is poised to become a major economic force in North Gujarat, creating new employment opportunities and boosting regional tourism. (ANI)

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Several people are feared trapped after a three-storey building collapsed in Navi Mumbai’s Shahbaz village on Saturday morning.

Navi Mumbai Deputy Fire Officer Purushottam Jadhav said that two people have been rescued and two are likely to be trapped.

“We received a call about a building collapse at 4.50 am. 2 people have been rescued. Two people are likely to be trapped and rescue operation is underway to rescue them,” Jadhav told ANI.

Kailas Shinde, Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner, said that rescue operations are underway.

“The building collapsed around 5 am. It is a G+3 building. Two people have been rescued and two are likely trapped. The NDRF team is here, rescue operations are underway,” Shinde said.

Further details are awaited.

Earlier on July 20, parts of the balcony of a building named Rubina Manzil collapsed in the Grand Road area of Mumbai, in which one person died and 13 others were injured.

The incident took place at 11 am on July 20, close to the Grant Road Railway Station.

The continuous rainfall in Maharashtra has brought Mumbai to a standstill, disrupting public transport services and causing inconvenience to countless commuters.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued orange alert for Madhya Maharashtra on July 28.

Several regions in Maharashtra are currently facing continuous heavy rainfall, leading to severe waterlogging and extensive traffic snarls in many cities, including Mumbai. (ANI)

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After a glittering opening ceremony, the Indian contingent will be in action in seven different sports on Saturday, with shooting, hockey, badminton, and tennis being standout sports.

A Saturday full of action will start for India with Balraj Panwar competing in rowing, in the single sculls heats at 12:30 PM.

Then, the focus will shift to shooting, with 10 m air rifle mixed team qualification scheduled for 12:30 PM, which will see teams of Sandeep Singh/Elavenil Valarivan and Arjun Babuta/Ramita Jindal in action. The shooting action will continue with the 10 m air pistol men’s and women’s qualifiers scheduled for 2 PM and 4 PM respectively.

The air pistol qualifiers will feature stars like Sarabjot Singh, Arjun Cheema, Manu Bhaker and Rhythm Sangwan in action. After some consistent shows in national and international events leading up to the Olympics, Team India would no doubt, be strong contenders for a medal in every category.

A standout event for India today will be the first round of men’s doubles tennis, which will feature India’s doubles star Rohan Bopanna teaming up with world No. 65 N Sriram Balaji in pursuit of maiden Olympic medal from 3:30 PM onwards. Having won a Grand Slam event, the Australian Open men’s doubles event with Matthew Ebden of Australia, Bopanna will be aiming to utilise his winning momentum, consistency and experience in his medal chase, which he narrowly missed out on in the 2016 Rio Olympics when he teamed up with Sania Mirza for mixed doubles but could just finish fourth.

From 11:00 PM onwards, some badminton action will kick off, with men’s singles and doubles and women’s doubles matches set to take place till 5:30 PM. The men’s singles medal prospect and Commonwealth Games champion, Lakshya Sen, India’s red-hot men’s doubles pair of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty and women’s doubles pair of Tanisha Crasto and Ashwini Ponnappa will have the spotlight on them.

At 7:15 PM, Indian paddler Harmeet Desai will be in action during the preliminary round in men’s table tennis singles competition.

From 9:00 PM, the Indian men’s hockey team, a major source of pride for the country in its Olympic history, would start its pursuit for a medal in their men’s Pool B match against a strong New Zealand team. After securing a bronze in Tokyo 2020 after over 40 years, the Men in Blue will be raring to go out there and play fearlessly to change the colour of their medal to gold.

At 12:02 AM in night, the boxing contingent of India will kickstart its campaign as well, with Preeti set to compete in round of 32 of women’s 54 kg category. (ANI)

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